Keu,€atecbetic$ 


BX  8068  .AI  R413  1918 
Reu,  Johann  Michael,  1869 

1943. 
Catechetics 


CATECHETICS 

or 

Theory  and  Practise  of  Religious 
Instruction 

by 

M.  REU,  D.D. 

Professor  of  Theology  at  Wartburg  Seminary 
Dubuque,  I oiv a 


WARTBURG    PUBLISHING    HOUSE,   CHICAGO 

19    18 


PREFACE 

HTHIS  textbook  on  Catechetics  was  originally  published 
in  German,  the  first  edition  appearing  in  1915. 
Since  it  was  introduced  by  three  Lutheran  seminaries  a 
second  edition  soon  proved  necessary  and  was  published 
in  the  spring  of  1918.  Ever  since  its  first  publication  the 
desire  was  often  expressed  for  an  English  edition. 
Thanks  to  the  efforts  of 

Rev.  C.  B,  Gohdes,  Litt.  D. 

and  Professor  of  History  at  the  Capital  University,  Co- 
lumbus,  Ohio, 

this  desire  is  now  fulfilled.  Dr.  Gohdes  kindly  carried 
out  the  very  difficult  task  of  translation.  In  rendering 
the  chapters  21  and  22  he  was  kindly  assisted  by  Prof. 
Theo.  Mees5  Ph.D.,  D.D.,  of  Capital  University,  whose 
conversance  with  the  psychological  terminology  of  the 
Herbart  Society  was  placed  at  his  disposal,  while  Rev. 
Harry  Melcher  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  furnished  the  trans- 
lation of  the  Practical  Examples.  For  all  such  valu- 
able assistance,  especially  for  the  unselfish,  assiduous, 
and  successful  labors  of  Dr  Gohdes,  the  author  takes 
this  opportunity  publicly  to  express  his  heartfelt  thanks. 
Although  the  esteemed  translator,  under  constant 
collaboration  with  Rev.  S.  Salzmann,  of  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
and  myself,  gave  much  time  and  diligent  thought  to- 
ward the  production  of  this  English  edition,  here  and 
there  an  error  may  have  crept  in.     May  I  not  ask  the 


IV 


readers  to  make  a  note  of  these,  and  kindly  to  bring 
them  to  my  attention  in  order  that  they  might  be  cor- 
rected in  case  a  second  edition  should  be  necessary?  I 
should  likewise  be  grateful  for  any  other  suggestions. 

This  book,  however,  is  not  merely  a  translation  of 
the  German  edition.  For,  in  its  present  form,  it  was  not 
only  divested  of  everything  which  had  special  reference 
to  conditions  in  the  German  speaking  Lutheran  congre- 
gations of  our  country,  but  was  also  recast  and  ampli- 
fied, as  this  seemed  necessary  for  a  more  general  use 
in  our  Church.  While  already  in  the  German  edition  the 
psychological,  pedagogical,  and  catechetical  literature  of 
our  country  was  drawn  upon,  especially  for  chapter  22, 
this  has  now  been  registered  and  turned  to  account 
throughout  the  book.  Chapters  30  and  31  dealing  with 
the  educational  agencies  and  the  distribution  of  material 
has  been  completely  recast  and  amplified.  Chapter  20 
appears  for  the  first  time.  It  seemed  necessary,  in  order 
that  the  student  and  pastor  might,  at  least  briefly,  be 
informed  on  the  work  of  religious  instruction  carried 
on  by  the  churches  round  about  us.  One  addition  which 
I  had  planned,  could  not  be  embodied  in  this  print.  I 
had  intended  to  write  a  sketch  of  the  catechetical  work 
of  the  Scandinavian  Church  from  the  Reformation  to 
the  present  time,  but  being  somewhat  overworked,  I  had 
to  desist  from  this  plan  in  the  last  moment.  Should  a 
second  edition  prove  necessary,  thfs  deficiency  will  be 
supplied. 

To  some  it  might  seem  as  if  this  Catechetics  were 
too  bulky  to  serve  as  a  textbook;  it  was,  however,  pur- 
posely written  in  this  volume,  for  it  should  be  of  ser- 
vice also  to  the  pastor  and  catechist,  who  have  stood  in 
the  ministry  for  years.     By  omitting  the  literature  and 


the  practical  examples  about  one  hundred  pages  could 
have  been  eliminated.  But  perhaps  just  the  teacher  of 
Catechetics  and  all  who  intend  later  to  continue  the 
study  of  catechetical  problems,  will  thank  me  for  having 
recorded  it  with  such  care.  Hardly  will  they  find  one 
so  relatively  complete.  Most  of  the  books  mentioned  are 
found  in  my  library,  the  remainder  was  at  least  exam- 
ined, only  a  few  have  been  cited  on  the  authority  of 
others.  If  a  large  proportion  of  the  literature  given 
is  written  in  German,  the  reason  for  this  is  mainly,  be- 
cause nowhere  has  such  diligent,  practical  as  well  as  sci- 
entific, work  been  done  in  the  catechetical  field  as  in  the 
evangelical  church  of  Germany.  How  ever  much  condi- 
tions may  change,  it  ought  to  remain  a  rule  with  us  that 
the  Lutheran  pastor  or,  at  least,  the  Lutheran  professor 
should  be  able  to  read  and  to  understand  the  language 
in  which  Luther  wrote.  The  practical  examples  could, 
in  the  interest  of  the  catechist,  especially  of  the  student 
and  beginner,  not  well  be  omitted.  While  some  of  the 
examples  given,  in  my  judgment,  can  by  no  means  serve 
as  models  worthy  of  imitation,  they  have  been  added, 
because,  in  the  form  given,  they  have  proved  valuable 
for  my  work  in  the  Seminary.  Here,  too,  criticism  of 
the  material  offered  serves  as  an  aid  to  find  and  appreci- 
ate what  is  correct.  Another  reason  why  the  bulkiness 
of  this  volume  should  be  no  hindrance  to  its  usefulness 
as  a  textbook  is  this :  in  spite  of  its  unity  the  several 
parts  are  complete  in  themselves,  and  can,  therefore,  also 
be  taken  up  and  studied  separately.  If  time  will  not 
allow  for  a  careful  study  of  the  historical  part,  this  can 
be  covered  by  a  few  summarizing  lectures.  He  who  has 
reasons  to  believe  that  his  class  is  sufficiently  grounded 
in  the  elements  of  psychology  may  restrict  himself  to  a 


VI 

hasty  review  of  the  second  part  in  which  stress  is  laid 
upon  the  pedagogical  deductions.  My  experience,  how- 
ever, is  that  such  knowledge  of  psychology  is  rather  rare 
among  our  students  of  theology.  Where  this  is  the 
case  much  of  the  necessary  basis  for  all  catechetical 
work  is  wanting. 

The  complete  indexes  were  kindly  furnished  by 
Prof.  Julius  Bodensieck  of  Waverly,  Iowa.  The  proofs 
were  read  repeatedly.  But  on  account  of  an  overstrain- 
ing of  my  eyes  and  the  fact  that  the  book  was  to  leave 
the  press  before  the  opening  of  the  new  school  year 
some  errors  may  have  been  overlooked.  For  these  I 
ask  the  reader's  indulgence. 

I  can  truthfully  say  that  this  textbook  has  grown 
out  of  scientific  as  well  as  practical  study  of  catechetical 
problems  extending  over  many  years.  Especially  what 
is  said  concerning  the  various  educational  agencies  and 
the  distribution  of  material  has  been  tested  as  to  its 
practicableness  either  by  myself  or  by  some  of  my 
former  pupils  who  perform  all  their  catechetical  work 
in  English. 

Would,  that  now,  when  the  transition  into  the 
American  language  has  made  religious  instruction  much 
easier  in  many  respects,  all  would  earnestly  strive  to 
"redeem  the  time"  and  to  lay  the  foundations  for  a 
lasting  improvement  of  ways  and  means  of  such  instruc- 
tion. The  whole  future  of  our  Church  is  at  stake.  In 
the  same  measure  in  which  we  succeed  in  solving  the 
question  of  the  religious  instruction  of  our  youth,  can  we 
become  what  we  should,  a  salt  for  our  country.  The 
following  resolution  was  passed  by  the  International 
Sunday  School  Convention  assembled  this  summer  at 
Buffalo :     "The  prize  of  our  religious  liberty  is  the  sum 


VIT 

required  for  the  building  of  a  system  of  Church  schools 
which  will  parallel  our  system  of  public  schools  and  be 
equally  efficient.  We  do  not  have  in  this  country  a  sys- 
tem of  public  education ;  we  have  only  a  system  of  public 
schools;  but  this  system  of  schools  does  not  work  with 
the  whole  child.  It  is  but  half  an  educational  arch.  We 
must  complete  the  arch  by  building  a  system  of  Church 
schools  closely  co-ördinated  with  the  public  schools. 
These  two  systems  of  schools — one  supported  by  the 
State,  with  secular  leadership,  the  other  supported  by 
the  Church,  with  religious  leadership — will  form  the 
only  system  of  education  that  a  country  can  have,  in 
which  the  Church  and  the  State  are  a  part.  The  build- 
ing of  this  system  of  Church  schools  is  the  task  now 
pressing  for  completion".  At  the  same  time  the  follow- 
ing report  comes  from  New  York :  "The  Commissioner 
of  Education  for  the  State  of  New  York  declares  that 
there  must  be  some  definite  plan  of  religious  education 
for  the  children  of  the  State,  this  to  be  formulated 
through  the  co-operation  of  the  schools  and  the 
Churches.  He  proposes  three  methods:  (1)  The  pre- 
paration, for  use  in  the  schools,  of  a  book  of  selections 
from  the  Bibje  by  an  interdenominational  commission 
appointed  by  the  legislature;  (2)  the  formulation  of  a 
plan  for  co-operation  between  the  school  and  the  vari- 
ous denominations,  that  every  child  may  be  provided 
with  religious  instruction;  (3)  the  granting  of  regents' 
credits  for  serious  work  in  Bible  study  outside  of  the 
schools". 

I  still  maintain  what  has  been  said  in  chapters  20, 
30  and  31  concerning  the  establishment  of  parish  schools, 
but  in  connection  with  these  latest  utterances  I  would 
like  once  more  to  emphasize  the  following :    Where  par- 


VIII 

ish  schools  can  not  be  established,  there  let  us  unite  and 
strive  with  all  seriousness  that  a  portion  of  the  regular 
school  periods  of  our  public  schools  be  assigned  for  re- 
ligious instruction  given  by  the  Church,  and  let  us  train 
teachers  for  that  purpose.  To  bring  this  matter  before 
our  state  legislatures  and  boards  of  education  would  be  a 
very  important  task  for  the  newly  formed  Lutheran 
National  Council.  In  the  meantime  let  no  one  idly  wait 
for  developments  which  the  future  might  bring,  but  let 
him  turn  to  account  the  educational  agencies  mentioned 
on  p.  444,  or  let  him  choose  other  ways  and  means — if 
only  our  youth  receives  that  religious  instruction  which 
the  Church  and  every  pastor  is  in  holy  duty  bound  to 
give. 

Dubuque,  Iowa,  September,  1918. 

M.  REU. 


CONTENTS 

Page 
INTRODUCTION     .    1—7 

1.  Name   and   Meaning   of    Catechetics    3 

2.  Necessity  of  Religious  Instruction  and  Catechetics   4 

3.  Elements   of  Catechetics    7 

I.  THE     HISTORICAL     DEVELOPMENT     OF     RELI- 
GIOUS  INSTRUCTION    7—219 

A.  Religious  Instruction  in  the  Old   Church    7 — 57 

4.  The  Aim  of  Religious  Instruction  in  the  Old  Church   . .  8 

5.  Religious    Instruction    During    the    Apostolic    and    Post 
Apostolic  Age    10 

6.  The    Development    of    the    Graded    Catechumenate    Be- 
tween   180  and   325    23 

7.  The  Catechumenate  in  Perfected  Form,  about  325 — 450..  28 

8.  The    Catechumenate    in    its    Decay,   450—600    43 

9.  The  Conclusion  of  the  Catechumenate  of  the  Old  Church 
and  the  Subsequent  Care  of  the  Baptized 44 

10.    Infant    Baptism    and    the    Christian    Instruction    of   the 

Young   in   the   Old   Church    50 

B.  Religious  Instruction  in  the  Mediaeval  Church  57 — 83 

II.  Religious    Instruction    from    600 — 1200     58 

12.  Religious  Instruction  from  1200—1517   70 

C.  Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  of  Reformation. 83 — 219 

13.  The  Work   of  the   Reformatory   Church   Until   the  Ap- 
pearance  of  Luther's    Catechisms,    1517 — 1529    83 

14.  The    Significance    of   Luther's    Small    Catechism    105 

15.  Religious    Instruction    from    1530—1600    126 

16.  Religious    Instruction    During   the    Period    of    Lutheran 
Orthodoxism,    1600—1676    136 

17.  Religious    Instruction    During    the    Period    of    Pietism, 
1677—1750    144 

18.  Religious  Instruction  During  the  Period  of  Rationalism, 
1750-1830    152 


X 

19.  Religious  Instruction  Since  the  Renewal  of  Faith,  About 
1830—1918    159 

20.  Religious    Instruction    in   America    168 

II.  THE  SUBJECT  OF  RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION: 
THE  PUPIL  AND  HIS  INNER  LIFE  219—303 

21.  The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  in  its  General  Aspect  (the 
literature  on  p.  219  f.  belongs  to  chapter  21)   219 

a.  The  Intellect   223 

b.  The    Emotions 242 

c.  The   Will    258 

22.  The  Gradual   Unfolding  of  the  Pupil's  Inner  Life    ....  269 

a.  Infancy    271 

b.  Childhood    278 

c.  Adolescence    294 

III.  THE  AIM  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  RELIGIOUS  IN- 
STRUCTION    303—313 

23.  The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction   303 

IV.  THE  MATERIAL  FOR  RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION 
AND  ITS  DISTRIBUTION  OVER  THE  SEVERAL 
EDUCATIONAL    AGENCIES 313—481 

24.  The  Catechetical  Material  as  Suggested  by  the  Aim  of 
Religious    Instruction    313 

25.  Biblical    History     317 

26.  The    Catechism    340 

Hints   to   a    correct   understanding   of   the   Small    Cate- 
chism     356 

27.  Holy    Scripture     406 

28.  The  Church   Book  or  Hymnal    414 

29.  Secondary  Material   for  Instruction    423 

30.  The    Educational    Agencies    of   the    Church    428 

31.  The   Distribution   of  the   Material    451 

V.  THE  METHOD  OF  RELIGIOUS  INSTRUC- 
TION       481—676 

32.  Principles    of    Method    481 

33.  The  Method  According  to  its  Outward  Form  496 

34.  The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History 513 

35.  The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism   549 

36.  Method  of  Teaching  the  Remaining  Material   592 


XI 

37.  Method   and   Period    596 

38.  Method  and  Man   600 

Practical  Examples    606 

a.  Instruction  in  Biblical  History    606 

b.  'Instruction    in    Catechism     645 

c.  Instruction  in  the  Hymns  of  the  Church   675 

VI.  THE     CLOSE     OF     THE     RELIGIOUS     INSTRUC- 
TION         676—700 

39.  The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation   676 

40.  The  Final  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 699 


RE   =    Realenzyklopaedie    fuer   protestantische    Theologie    und    Kirche    in 

dritter  Auflage  herausgegeben  von  A.  Hauck. 
Page  8,  line  16,   read  Patrologiae. 
Page  31,  line  5,  read  Tractatus. 
Page   33,   line   15,    add   Ap.    Const.    VIII,   6. 
Page   19,   line   19,   add   1   John   2,   20.  27. 
Page   38,   line   26,   read    Chrysologus. 
Page   45,    line    1,    read   Liturgik. 
Page  49,   line  5,   read  Cat.  5. 
Page  64,    line  28,   read  externalities. 
Page  69,  line  3,  read  was. 
Page   98,    line   28,    read   Luther.  _ 
Page   107,   line  22,   read  conventional. 
Page   132,    line   26,   read   Augustana. 
Page   189,   line  2,   read   A.    S.    S.    U. 
I»age    190,   line  34,  read  A.    S.   S.   U. 
Page  214,  line  5,  i*ad  Pontoppidan. 
Page  240,   line   10,  read  dealing. 
Page  240,  line  14,  read  connotes. 


Introduction 

Henry  I.  Schmidt,  History  of  Education,  Part  I :  History 
of  Education,  Ancient  and  Modern;  Part  II:  A  Plan  of  Cul- 
ture and  Instruction  based  on  Christian  Principles,  and  designed 
to  aid  in  the  right  Education  of  Youth,  Physically,  Intellec- 
tually, and  Morally,  1842. — L.  Kraussold,  Katechetik  fuer  Schule 
und  Kirche,  1843  (21880).— Chr.  Palmer,  Evangelische  Kate- 
chetik, 1844  («1881). — G.  v.  Zezschwitz,  System  der  christlich- 
kirchlichen Katechetik :  1.  Bd.  Der  Katechumenat  oder  die* 
Lehre  von  der  kirchlichen  Erziehung,  1863.  2.  Bd.  Die  Lehre 
vom  kirchlichen  Unterricht  nach  Stoff  und  Methode.  1.  Ab- 
teilung :  Der  Katechismus  oder  der  kirchliche  Unterrichts- 
stoff, 1864  (21872).  2.  Abteilung:  Die  Katechese  oder  die 
kirchliche  Unterrichtsmethode.  1.  Haelfte :  Der  akroamatisch- 
positive  Bibelunterricht,  1869  (21874).  2.  Haelfte:  Die  ero- 
tematische  Unterrichtsform,  1872. — H.  Ziegler,  Catechetics,  His- 
torical, Theoretical,  Practical,  1873.— F.  W.  Schuetze,  Praktische 
Katechetik  fuer  evangelische  Seminare  und  Lehrer,  1876  (21883). 
— R.  Kuebel,  Katechetik,  1877.— Theod.  Harnack,  Katechetik 
und  Erklaerung  des  Kleinen  Katechismus,  1882. — G.  v.  Scheele, 
Kirchliche  Katechetik,  1886. — K.  Buchrucker,  Grundlinien  der 
kirchlichen  Katechetik,  1889. — E.  Sachsse,  Die  Lehre  von  der 
kirchlichen  Erziehung  nach  evangelischen  Grundsaetzen,  1897. — 
Fr.  Zange,  Evangelischer  Religionsunterricht,  1897  (21913). — 
A.  Eckert,  Der  erziehende  Religionsunterricht  in  Schule  und 
Kirche,  1899  (-1915). — M.  v.  Nathusius,  Handbuch  des  kirchli- 
chen Unterrichts,  1903. — O.  Baumgarten,  Neue  Bahnen.  Der 
Unterricht  in  der  christlichen  Religion  im  Geist  der  modernen 
Theologie,  1903.— E.  Thraendorf,  Allgemeine  Methodik  des  Re- 
ligionsunterrichts. 1903  (•-,1912).— G.  A.  Coe,  Education  in  Re- 
ligion and  Morals,  1904. — J.  Gottschick,  Homiletik  und  Kate- 
chetik, 1908. — Joh.  Berndt,  Methodik  des  Unterrichts  in  der 
evangelischen  Religion,  1909. — J.  Smend,  Der  evangelische  Re- 
ligionsunterricht auf  hoeheren  Schulen,  1910. — R.  Kabisch,  Wie 
lehrt  man  Religion,  1910  (21912).— C.  H.  Gerberding,  The  Lu- 
theran   Catechist,    1910.— J.    H.    Herzer,    Ev.-Luth.    Katechetik, 


2  Introduction 

1911. — C.  W.  Hertzler,  Die  religioes-sittliche  Erziehung  der 
kirchlichen  Jugend,  1911. — K.  Knoke,  Recht  und  Pflicht  der 
evangelischen  Kirche  hinsichtlich  der  religioesen  Unterweisung 
ihrer  heranwachsenden  Jugend.  1912. — Chr.  Buerckstuemmer, 
Der  Religionsunterricht  in  der  Volksschule,  1913. — J.  Steinbeck, 
Lehrbuch  der  christlichen  Jugenderziehung,  1914. — G.  Hodges, 
The  Training  of  Children  in  Religion  (1911),  1917.— E.  Her- 
shey Sneath,  George  Hodges,  and  Henry  H.  Tweedy,  Religious 
Training  in  the  School  and  Home,  1917. — Compare  also  the 
chapters  on  Catechetics  by  G.  v.  Zezschwitz  in  :  Strack-Zoeck- 
ler,  Handbuch  der  theologischen  Wissenschaften,  part  4,  1882 
(31890). — K.  Knoke,  Grundriss  der  praktischen  Theologie,  1886 
(41896). — A.  Krauss,  Lehrbuch  der  praktischen  Theologie,  i890 
— 1893. — E.  Chr.  Achelis,  Lehrbuch  der  praktischen  Theologie, 
1890  (31911). — E.  Chr.  Achelis,  Grundriss  der  praktischen  Theo- 
logie, 1893  (51903). — Of  text-books  on  Pedagogics  we  mention: 
Chr.  Palmer,  Evangelische  Paedagogik.  1853  (41869).— T.  Ziller, 
Vorlesungen  ueber  allgemeine  Paedagogik,  1876  (:>,1892). — G.  v. 
Zezschwitz,  Lehrbuch  der  Paedagogik,  1882. — W.  Ostermann- 
L.  Wegener,  Lehrbuch  der  Paedagogik,  1882  (50th  thousand. 
1910).— J.  Chr.  G.  Schumann-G.  Voigt,  Lehrbuch  der  Paedago- 
gik. about  1882  (121904).— H.  Spencer,  Education,  intellectual, 
moral,  and  physical,  1883. — Jos.  Payne,  Lectures  on  the  Science 
and  Art  of  Education,  1884. — E.  Thring,  Theory  and  Practice  of 
Teaching,  1885.— J.  G.  Fitch,  Lectures  on  Teaching,  1886.— 
J.  Johonnot,  Principles  and  practice  of  Teaching,  1886. — 
Ch.  de  Garmo,  The  Essentials  of  Method.  1889.— D.  P.  Page, 
Theory  and  Practice  of  Teaching,  1893. — W.  James,  Talks  to 
Teachers  on  Psychology.  1900. — K.  Knoke,  Grundriss  der  Paeda- 
gogik, 1.892  (21902).— K.  Heilmann,  Handbuch  der  Paedagogik, 
1897  021908).— W.  Rein,  Paedagogik  i.  Grundriss.  1900  (^1908). 
English  by  C.  C.  and  Ida  J.  Van  Liew,  1895.— W.  Rein,  Paeda- 
gogik in  systematischer  Darstellung,  1902 — 1906. — P.  Barth,  Die 
Elemente  der  Erziehungs-  u.  Unterrichtslehre,  1906  (31911). — 
F.  Paulsen,  Paedagogik,  1911. — K.  A.  Schmid,  Geschichte  der 
Erziehung,  5  parts,  11  volumes,  1884  ff. — K.  A.  Schmid,  Encyclo- 
paedic- des  gesamten  Erziehungs-  und  Unterrichtswesens,  2. 
ed.  8  vols. — W.  Rein,  Encyclopaedisches  Handbuch  der  Paeda- 
gogik, 2.  ed.  10  vols. — Sonnenschein's  Cyclopedia  of  Education, 
ed.  by  Fletcher,  1892. — Monroe's  Cyclopedia  of  Education,  1911 — 


Introduction  3 

1914.— W.  S.  Monroe,  Bibliography  of  Education,  (1897),  1907. 
— P.  Monroe,  Textbook  in  the  History  of  Education,  1905. — 
F.  P.  Graves,  History  of  Education  before  the  Middle  Ages, 
1909;  History  of  Education  during  the  Middle  Ages  and  the 
Transition  to  Modern  times,  1909 — 1910. 

1.    Name  and  Meaning  of  Catechetics. 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  I,  pp.  10—34;  II,  1,  pp.  27— 43.— Achelis  II, 
pp.  278—281;  383— 386.— Sachsse,  pp.  301—302. 

The  word  Catechetics  {Kar-qxnriKT)  rix^n)  1S  a  deri- 
vative of  the  composite  verb  Kar^'w.  This,  in  turn,  is 
derived  from  the  simple  verb  rjx€LVy  n°t  from  the  noun 
•fa™,  the  equivalent  of  our  English  echo.  The  etymology 
of  Catechetics,  therefore,  suggests  a  descending,  not  a 
reverberating,  sound.  For  this  reason,  and  in  conse- 
quence of  the  essential  difference  between  Kar-qxtlv  and 
avrrjxtiv,  the  explanation,  not  originating  with  Melanch- 
thon,  but  widely  spread  by  him,  that  the  word  signi- 
fies instruction  by  means  of  questions  and  answers,*) 
proves  inacceptable.  Originally  intransitive,  the  verb 
subsequently  received  transitive  force,  in  that  KaTYjxuaOat 
came  to  mean  "to  receive  information",  while  Karrjxdv 
rtva  (to  reach  one  by  sound  from  above,  as  from  a 
desk)  has  come  to  signify  an  impartation  of  knowledge 
by  the  transmission  of  sound  from  lip  to  ear.  The  term 
is  also  used  to  connote  the  superficial,  the  commonplace, 
the  inchoate,  the  elementary.  In  the  general  sense  of 
imparting  oral  information  the  word  is  used  in  Luke's 
Gospel  (1,  4),  also  in  Acts  (18,  25;  21,  21).  In 
the  more  definite  sense  of  giving  oral  instruction  in  re- 
ligion, we  find  the  term  used  by   Paul    (Rom.  2,   18; 


*)  Compare  M.  Reu,  Quellen  zur  Geschichte  des  kirchlichen 
Unterrichts,  I,  2  p.  17;  F.  Cohrs,  Evangelische  Katechismus- 
versuche vor  Luthers  Enchiridion,  III,  p.  20. 


4  Introduction 

I  Cor.  14,  19;  Gal.  6,  6).  Inasmuch  as  oral  instruction 
in  the  fundamentals  of  Christianity  was  the  principal 
feature  of  the  preparation  for  baptism,  Kar-qxelv  was  used 
as  an  expression  of  the  mode  of  preparation  for  the  sac- 
rament, and,  subsequently,  of  fundamental  religious  in- 
struction in  general  as  imparted  by  the  Church.  Cate- 
chetics  is  therefore  an  exposition  of  the  principles  of 
religious  instruction  and  a  practical  method  of  equip- 
ping the  catechist. 

2.     The  Necessity  for  Such  Instruction  and  a  Correct 
Exposition  of  its  Principles. 

Th.  Harnack,  pp.  1— 8.— Achelis,  II,  pp.  281— 282.— Buch- 
rucker,  pp.  64 — 65. — Kabisch,  pp.  1 — 102. — Religionsunterricht? 
80  Gutachten.  Ergebnis  einer  von  der  Vereinigung  fuer  Schul- 
reform in  Bremen  veranstalteten  allgemeinen  deutschen  Um- 
frage, 1905. — W.  Rein,  Stimmen  zur  Reform  des  Religionsunter- 
richts, 1904.  1906. — G.  A.  Coe,  Education  in  Religion  and  Mor- 
als, pp.  21 — 32. — Sneath,  Hodges,  and  Tweedy,  Religious  Train- 
ing in  School  and  Home,  pp.  1 — 33. 

The  character  and  task  of  the  Church  suggest  the 
necessity  of  imparting  religious  instruction.  The  Church 
is  to  spread  and  grow.  While,  through  her  missionary 
activity,  she  endeavors  to  arouse  in  those  without  the 
longing  and  willingness  for  salvation  that  result  in  a 
desire  for  membership,  her  character  as  the  communion 
of  saints  prevents  her  from  receiving  into  fellowship 
any  but  those  who  share  her  faith  and  confession.  The 
duty  to  give  all  applicants  careful  instruction  in  regard 
to  the  faith  and  its  confession  thus  becomes  self-evident. 
A  further  necessity  for  such  instruction  results  from 
baptism  as  the  divinely  ordained  sacrament  of  initia- 
tion into  the  Church.  Baptism  requires  instruction  con- 
cerning its  character  and  import,  no  matter  whether 
instruction   precedes  the  sacrament  or  vice  versa.     In 


introduction  5 

the  case  of  adults,  whether  they  are  Pagans,  Jews,  or 
sectarians  hostile  to  baptism,  the  activity  of  the  mis- 
sionary must  merge  into  that  of  the  catechist,  and  con- 
clude with  instruction  in  regard  to  baptism  and  the  con- 
fessions, whereas  the  baptism  of  infants  dare  not  take 
place  at  all,  unless  subsequent  instruction  be  guaranteed. 
Finally,  religious  instruction  is  explicitly  required  by 
Holy  Writ.  The  missionary  commission  involves  the 
preparation  of  those  who,  by  preaching  and  baptism, 
have  already  become  members  of  the  Church  for  a  con- 
versation in  consonance  with  discipleship  (Matth.  28, 
18  etc.).  Even  more,  Jesus  impresses  upon  Peter  not 
only  the  guarding  and  feeding  of  the  sheep  (Trpoßara, 
TrpoßaTta) ,  but  also  the  feeding  of  the  lambs  (apvta)  be- 
longing to  the  fold  (John  21,  15  etc.),  a  process  to  which 
instruction  of  its  youth  by  the  Church  belongs  as  an 
essential  part.  Since  Rousseau  (f  1778),  the  require- 
ment has  indeed  frequently  been  made  that  children 
should  be  given  no  instruction  in  religion  till  the  age  of 
sixteen.  However,  the  pretext  that  an  independent  deci- 
sion in  the  premises  should  not  be  forestalled,  is  merely 
the  equivalent  of  a  demand  for  an  irreligious  education, 
inasmuch  as  congenital  evil  is  given  an  opportunity  for 
unimpeded  development,  and  parents  and  Church  are 
expected  to  withhold  from  the  children  that  which  is 
their  own  greatest  treasure,  and  this  at  a  time  when  the 
foundation  is  laid  for  the  future  in  every  respect. 

E.  H.  Sneath,  George  Hodges  and  H.  H.  Tweedy  in  "Re- 
ligious Training  in  the  School  and  Home"  (Macmillan,  1917)  : 
To  postpone  the  work  of  religious  education  until  the  prepara- 
tory school  and  college  is  as  rash  as  it  is  foolish.  "Let  a 
child  wait  until  he  is  grown  and  then  choose  his  own  reli- 
gion," said  an  English  statesman  in  the  hearing  of  Coleridge. 
Coleridge    made    no    reply,    but    led    the    speaker    out    into    his 


6  introduction 

garden.  Looking  around  upon  the  bare  ground  he  said  quietly : 
"I  have  decided  not  to  put  out  any  flowers  and  vegetables  this 
year,  but  to  wait  till  August  and  let  the  garden  decide  for 
itself  whether  it  prefers  weeds  or  strawberries".  The  blind 
optimism  which  seems  to  feel  that  the  moral  and  religious 
training  of  the  child  will  care  for  itself,  ends  all  too  soon  in 
disaster.  The  business  of  growing  good  men  and  women  will 
no  more  care  for  itself  than  the  business  of  making  a  fortune  or 
winning  a  success  in  any  profession  will  care  for  itself  (p.  19). 

Nor  is  it  the  mere  principle  of  instruction  as  such 
that  is  in  question,  but  rather  purposeful  instruction  and 
education.  Instruction  bearing  a  general  Christian  im- 
press might  be  conceivable  as  the  result  of  Christian  as- 
sociation and  a  life  in  the  shadow  of  the  Church.  But 
quite  aside  from  the  failure  of  many  Christians  to  pos- 
sess an  adequate  understanding  of  the  Way  of  Salvation 
or  to  give  proper  ethical  expression  to  it,  such  inci- 
dental instruction  would  leave  a  complete  and  connected 
teaching  of  essential  truth  a  matter  of  chance.  Gaps, 
misunderstandings,  and  aberrations  would  be  all  but 
inevitable,  while  purposeful  influence  and  coherent  effort 
would  be  absent  altogether.  Therefore  it  is  the  duty 
of  the  Church  to  be  a  unit  in  her  advocacy  of  an  object 
inextricably  interwoven  with  her  very  future,  to  pre- 
scribe an  orderly  process  of  instruction,  to  gain  greater 
clearness  concerning  the  aim,  the  matter,  and  the  method 
of  such  instruction,  and  most  conscientiously  to  prepare 
her  future  servants,  in  both  theory  and  practise,  for  a 
successful  performance  of  the  teaching  activity.  The 
history  of  the  Church  is  witness  of  the  great  effect  ever 
produced  upon  her  inner  development  through  the  faith- 
ful discharge  of  this  duty,  and  of  the  baneful  effects 
wherever  it  has  been  neglected. 


Introduction  7 

3.    The  Elements  of  Catechetics: 

Inasmuch  as  the  Church  has  had  to  give  spiritual 
instruction  from  the  time  of  her  origin,  the  first  element 
of  the  catechetical  discipline  is  likely  to  be  an  excursion 
into  its  history,  in  order  to  make  the  experience  of  the 
past  available  for  the  present  and  to  render  possible  a 
clearer  and  ampler  apprehension  and  discharge  of  the 
teaching  function.  Moreover,  in  order  to  a  proper  mu- 
tual adjustment,  the  pupil  must  be  viewed  from  the 
standpoint  of  his  mental  faculties  and  his  complete 
psychic  development.  Clearness  is  also  to  be  gained 
in  regard  to  the  aim  to  be  reached,  in  regard  to  the 
materials  necessary  thereto,  in  regard  to  the  distribution 
of  such  materials  over  the  educational  institutions  today 
accessible,  in  regard  to  the  method  which  best  insures 
the  attainment  of  the  aim,  and,  finally,  in  regard  to  the 
time  when  such  instruction  is  to  be  concluded,  and  the 
form  which  this  conclusion  is  to  take. 


I.      The  Historical  Development  of 
Religious  Instruction 

A.    RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION  IN  THE  OLD 
*  CHURCH. 

J.  W.  F.  Hoefling,  Das  Sakrament  der  Taufe  nebst  den 
andern  damit  zusammenhaengendcn  Akten  der  Initiation  I, 
1846. — Th.  Harnack,  Der  christliche  Gemeindegottesdienst  im 
apostolischen  und  alt-katholischen  Zeitalter.  1854.— v.  Zezsch- 
witz,  Katechetik  I  und  II.  1.— J.  Mayer,  Geschichte  des  Katechu- 
menats  und  der  Katechese  in  den  ersten  sechs  Jahrhunderten, 
1868. — Fr.  Probst,  Lehre  vom  Gebet  in  den  drei  ersten  christ- 
lichen Jahrhunderten,  1871.— Fr.  Probst,  Die  kirchliche  Dis- 
ziplin in  den  drei  ersten  Jahrhunderten,  1873. — Fr.  Probst,  Kate- 


8  The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

chese  vom  Anfang  des  vierten  bis  zum  Ende  des  sechsten  Jahr- 
hunderts, 1884. — Fr.  Probst,  Geschichte  der  katholischen  Kate- 
chese, 1886. — H.  J.  Holtzmann,  Die  Katechese  der  alten  Kirche, 
1892.— E.  Sachsse,  Katech.  pp.  4— 115.— F.  Wiegand,  Die  Stel- 
lung des  apostolischen  Symbolums  im  kirchlichen  Leben  des 
Mittelalters,  I.  Symbol  und  Katechumenat,  1899.— F.  Cohrs, 
Katechumenat,  RE,  1901.— W.  Moeller-Schubert,  Lehrbuch  der 
Kirchengeschichte  I,  21902. — J.  H.  Kurtz-Bonwetsch,  Lehrbuch 
der  Kirchengeschichte  I,  141906. — G.  Hodgson,  Primitive  Chris- 
tian Education,  1906. — J.  C.  Ayer,  Catechumenal  and  catecheti- 
cal Schools  (Monroe's  Cyclopedia,  vol.  1). — A.  F.  Leach,  Bis- 
hop's Schools  and  Cathedral  Schools  (Monroe's  Cycl.,  vol.  1). 
— G.  Krueger,  Handbuch  der  Kirchengeschichte  I.  1911. — E. 
Chr.  Achelis,  Pr.  Theol.  II,  31911.— H.  Achelis,  Das  Christentum 
in  den  ersten  drei  Jahrhunderten,  1912. — J.  Steinbeck,  Kate- 
chetik,  pp.  1 — 9. — Migne  Patriologiac  Cursus  completus  (MSG 
zrrGreek  Series;  MSL=Latin  Series). — Corpus  Scriptorum 
Ecclesiasticorum  Latinorum,  Vindebonae  (CSEL). — Die  griech- 
ischen christlichen  Schriftsteller  der  ersten  drei  Jahrhunderte, 
Berlin  (GBSchr). — Bibliothek  der  Kirchenvaeter,  Kempten,  ed. 
by  Thalhof  er  (KB1). — Bibliothek  der  Kirchenvaeter,  Kempten, 
ed.  by  Bardenhewer,  Scherman  and  Weyman  (KB2). — The  Ante- 
Nicene  Fathers  (ANF). — Nicene  and  Post-Nicene  Fathers,  ed. 
by  Schaff,  first  and  second  series  (NPNF1  NPNF2).— A.  Har- 
nack,  Geschichte  der  altchristlichen  Literatur  bis  Eusebius, 
1893 — 1904. — Bardenhewer,  Geschichte  der  altkirchlichen  Litera- 
tur, 1902  ff. — H.  Jordan,  Geschichte  der  altchristlichen  Litera- 
tur.  1911. 

4.    The  Aim  of  Religious  Instruction  in  the  Old  Church. 

G.  Thomasius-Bonwetsch,  Christliche  Dogmengeschichte  I, 
2 1886. — M.  v.  Nathusius,  Handbuch  des  kirchlichen  Unterrichts 
nach  Ziel,  Inhalt  und  Form  I,  1903. — F.  Loofs,  Leifaden  zum 
Studium  der  Dogmengeschichte,  41906. — A.  Harnack,  Mission 
und  Ausbreitung  des  Christentums  in  den  drei  ersten  Jahr- 
hunderten, - 1906.— F.  Kattenbusch,  Taufe,  RE,  1907.— R.  See- 
berg, Lehrbuch  der  Dogmengeschichte  I,  21908—  A.  Harnack, 
Lehrbuch  der  Dogmengeschichte  I,  41909.— A.  v.  Stromberg, 
Studien  zur  Theorie  und  Praxis  der  Taufe  in  der  christlichen 
Kirche  der  ersten  zwei  Jahrhunderte.   1913. 


The  Aim  of  Religious  Instruction  in  the  Old  Church  9 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Old  Church  was  a 
missionary  organization  to  a  degree  never  attained  since, 
the  candidates  for  reception  were  primarily  adults.  In 
conformity  with  the  commission  according  to  Matth. 
2$,  19  and  apostolic  usage,  reception  into  the  Church 
took  place  through  the  act  of  baptism.  In  proportion  as 
the  Church  vitally  realized  the  unique  character  of 
Christianity,  baptism  was  estimated  on  a  high  plane.  It 
was  received  as  the  agency  that  worked  forgiveness  of 
sins  and  terminated  the  old  life,  as  the  channel  for  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  the  beginning  of  man's  renewal.  It  was 
viewed  as  the  door  through  which  access  was  afforded 
to  all  the  blessings  and  gifts  in  possession  of  the  Church 
of  God  on  earth.  And  when  this  consciousness  had 
largely  begun  to  fade,  the  praise  of  the  teachers  of  the 
Church  for  baptism  as  an  agency  of  salvation  became 
particularly  marked. 

However,  since  mo  saving  power  was  predicated  of 
baptism,  except  as  it  was  received  in  faith;  moreover, 
since  baptism  was  viewed  as  the  strongest  incentive  to  a 
godly  life,  the  urgent  necessity  arose  for  the  Old  Church 
to  instruct  and  train  its  disciples  with  a  view  to  the 
performance  and  saving  reception  of  the  baptismal  sac- 
rament. The  function  of  the  missionary  had  to  give 
place  to  that  of  the  catechist,  in  order  to  prepare  those 
for  baptism  who  were  willing  to  join  the  congregation 
of  Christian  believers.  In  this  way  specific  forms  of  a 
catechumenate,  or  a  baptismal  discipline,  gradually  de- 
veloped, which,  notwithstanding  minor  local  differences, 
commonly  possessed  the  same  fundamental  features. 
Rooted  deeply  in  the  apostolic  era,  this  catechumenate 
attained  its  highest  development  in  the  fourth  century, 
presently,  in  the  fifth,  to  fall  a  prey  to  decadence. 


IG         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

5.    Religious  Instruction  During  the  Apostolic  and  Post 
Apostolic  Age. 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  I,  §  11.  12;  II  1,  §  16.  17.  19.  20.  26.  31.— 
Th.  Zahn,  Glaubensregel  und  Taufbekenntnis  in  der  alten 
Kirche,  1881  (Skizzen  aus  dem  Leben  der  alten  Kirche  n1908; 
compare  his  article  "Glaubensregel"  in  RE,  1899). — W.  Bacher, 
Die  Agada  der  Tannaiten,  I  1884  (21903),  II  1900.— R.  Harris, 
The  Teaching  of  the  Apostles  and  the  Sibyll.  Books,  1885. — 
C.  Taylor,  The  Teachings  of  the  12  Apostles  with  Illustrations 
from  the  Talmud.  1886. — W.  Bacher,  Die  Agada  der  palaest. 
Amoraeer,  1892 — 1899. — A.  Harnack,  Das  apostolische  Glaubens- 
bekenntnis, 1892  C2'1896).— H.  J.  Holtzmann,  pp.  62— 66.— Th. 
Zahn,  Das  apostolische  Symbolum,  1893. — F.  Kattenbusch,  Das 
apostolische  Symbolum,  I  1894,  II  1900.— A.  Harnack,  Aposto- 
lisches Symbol.  RE,  1896. — A.  Harnack,  Die  Apostellehre  und  die 
juedischen  beiden  Wege,  -1896  (compare  Apostellehre,  RE, 
1896). — A.  Hahn,  Bibliothek  der  Symbole  und  Glaubensregeln 
der  alten  Kirche,  31897. — J.  Kunze,  Glaubensregel,  Heilige 
Schrift  und  Taufbekenntnis,  1899. — C.  Weizsaecker,  Das  apo- 
stolische Zeitalter  der  christlichen  Kirche,  21902. — A.  C.  Mc- 
Giffert,  The  Apostles'  Creed,  1902.— W.  Heitmueller,  Im  Na- 
men Jesu,  eine  sprach-  und  relig.-geschichtliche  Untersuchung, 
spez.  zur  altchristlichen  Taufe,  1903. — A.  Seeberg,  Der  Kate- 
chismus der  Urchristenheit,  1903. — A.  Seeberg,  Das  Evangelium 
Christi,  1905. — F.  W.  Rendtorff,  Die  Taufe  im  Urchristentum, 
1905.— R.  Knopf,  Das  nachapostolische  Zeitalter,  1905.— E.  v. 
Dobschuetz,  Proselyten,  RE,  1905. — A.  Harnack,  Mission  und 
Ausbreitung  des  Christentums,  21906. — A.  Seeberg,  Die  beiden 
Wege  und  das  Aposteldekret,  1906. — A.  Seeberg,  Die  Didache 
des  Judentums  und  der  Urchristenheit,  1908. — R.  Seeberg,  Dog- 
mengeschichte I.  eh.  6.  8. — A.  Harnack,  Dogmengeschichte  I, 
pp.  172  ff. ;  225  ff.— M.  Reu,  Der  katechetische  Unterricht  in  der 
apostolischen  Zeit  (Kirchliche  Zeitschrift),  1909.— E.  Schuerer, 
Geschichte  des  juedischen  Volks  im  Zeitalter  Jesu  III,  41909. — 
G.  Klein,  Der  aelteste  christliche  Katechismus  und  die  juedi- 
sche  Propagandaliteratur,  1909.— W.  Brandt,  Die  juedischen 
Baptismen,  1910. — J.  Kunze,  Das  apostolische  Glaubensbekennt- 
nis und  das  Neue  Testament,  1911. — J.  Behm,  Handauflegung  im 
Urchristentum,    1911. — W.    Heitmueller,    Taufe    und    Abendmahl 


Instruction  During  Apostolic  Age  11 

im  Urchristentum,  1911. — O.  Moe,  Paulus  und  die  evangelische 
Geschichte,  1912. — A.  Seeberg,  Die  Taufe  im  Neuen  Testament, 
-1912.— H.  Achelis,  Das  Christentum  etc.  I.  pp.  121  ff.— A.  v. 
Stromberg,  Studien  etc.  1913. — H.  Lietzmann,  Symbole  der  alten 
Kirche.  1914.— Sources  :  Patrum  apostolicorum  opera,  rec.  Ose. 
de  Gebhardt,  Ad.  Harnack  et  Theod.  Zahn,  editio  minor  ^»1906; 
German  by  I.  Chr.  Mayer,  1869  (KB1);  English  in  ANF,  vol.  1. 
— The  Didache  or  Teachings  of  the  12  Apostles  :  Didache  mit 
kritischem  Apparat,  ed.  by  H.  Lietzmann,  31912.  English  in 
ANF,  vol.  7,  p.  369  ff. ;  Greek  and  German,  ed.  by  Harnack,  1896. 
— Writings  of  the  Apologets:  E.  J.  Goodspeed,  Die  Apologeten, 
die  aeltesten  Texte  mit  kurzen  Einleitungen,  1914;  English  in 
ANF,  vol.  1  and  9;  German  by  Rauscher,  Julius  a.  o.  in  KB2, 
vol.  1  and  2. — The  Apologies  of  Justin:  Justins  des  Maertyrers 
Apologien,  ed.  G.  Krueger.  '1904;  English  in  ANF,  vol.  1; 
German  by  Rauscher  in  KB2,  vol.  1. 

To  induce  others  to  become  disciples  like  them- 
selves, had  been  made  by  Jesus  the  vocation  of  the 
twelve  from  the  beginning  (Matth.  4,  19;  Lk.  5,  10). 
Nor  did  they  fail  to  exercise  its  functions  during  the  life- 
time of  Jesus  (John  4,  12;  Matth.  9,  36—10,  15;  Mark 
6,  7—13;  Lk.  9,  1—6).  After  the  restoration  of  the  dis- 
ciples to  the  apostolate  by  the  risen  Christ,  in  spite  of 
their  failure  to  meet  the  test  during  His  passion,  (Matth. 
28,  19;  Lk.  24,  47;  John  20,  21—23;  21,  15—23;  Acts 
1,  8),  whatever  remnant  of  doubt  in  the  premises  may 
have  lingered  is  dispelled  by  the  assignment  to  them, 
in  language  too  clear  for  misunderstanding,  of  all 
nati.ons,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  as  object  of  their  missionary 
activity.  To  make  them  sure  of  their  ground,  the  Sa- 
vior designated  the  means  of  discipling  the  nations,  viz., 
the  testimony  concerning  Him,  baptism  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  en- 
joining of  all  His  commands  upon  all  men. 

Preparation  for  baptism  through  specific  instruc- 
tion  was   not  especially   named   by   the   Lord ;   for   the 


12         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

verbs  K-qpvaaeiv,  Lk.  24,  27,  and  /xapTvpelv,  Acts  1,  8,  are 
expressions  of  the  missionary  proclamation,  whereas  the 
ß6<TK€iv  and  the  Trot^aLvetv  of  the  lambs  of  Jesus  (John 
21,  15)  postulate  membership  in  the  congregation  and, 
accordingly,  the  baptismal  sacrament,  whereby  it  is 
effected.  The  same  holds  true  of  the  injunction,  "teach- 
ing them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  com- 
manded you".  We  are  driven  to  this  interpretation,  if 
for  no  other  reason,  by  the  sequence  of  the  several  sen- 
tence clauses  in  the  passage  under  consideration  (Matth. 
28,  19).  It  is  not  likely  that  the  disciples,  who  had 
been  taught  by  their  own  experience  what  an  amount  of 
disciplinary  work  their  Master  had  to  lavish  upon  them 
even  after  their  conversion,  thought  in  connection  with 
the  last  injunction  of  anything  but  the  continuous  in- 
struction and  discipline  of  those  already  baptized  and 
received  into  the  membership  of  the  Christian  fold,  for 
the  purpose  of  effecting  in  them  a  constantly  increasing 
harmony  between  their  discipleship  and  its  expression 
in  conduct.  No  specific  behest  in  regard  to  baptismal 
instruction  was  needed,  in  that  the  designation  of  bap- 
tism as  the  initiation  rite  of  the  Church,  resulting  in  a 
relation  of  allegiance  to  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spir- 
it, renders  instruction  in  regard  to  these  factors  of  salva- 
tion a  foregone  conclusion.  Moreover,  if  a  Christian 
conversation  was  to  be  enjoined  upon  those  baptized, 
the  necessity  for  such  a  change  in  morals  had  tö  be 
impressed  upon  them,  and  at  least  a  rudimentary  insight 
had  to  be  given  into  the  ivroXal  of  Christ  before  the 
sacrament  could  be  administered. 

In  addition,  the  difference  between  the  baptismal 
instruction  as  imparted  to  Gentiles  and  as  imparted 
to  Jews  was  a  foregone  conclusion.     The  boundary  be- 


Instruction  During  Apostolic  Age  13 

tween  the  latter  and  the  missionary  sermon  was  prob- 
ably rather  indistinct;  for  when  with  the  resultant  faith 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  sent  by  the  Father  in  heaven 
there  was  coupled  the  willingness  to  submit  to  Him  as 
Savior,  the  postulate  for  a  blessed  reception  of  baptism 
was  given,  particularly  since  the  ethical  standard  re- 
quired by  Christ  was  in  no  sense  antipodal  to  that  of 
the  Old  Covenant.  The  catechetical  activity  of  Peter  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost  was  confined  to  what  Luke  re- 
ports, Acts  2,  38 — 40,  nor  was  Philip's  treatment  of 
Queen  Candace's  treasurer  radically  different,  inasmuch 
as  the  latter  had  been  "instructed  previously  by  the  pro- 
phets". The  baptismal  instruction  of  Gentiles  had  to  be 
much  more  comprehensive,  particularly  when  there  had 
been  no  previous  acquaintance  with  the  Septuagint  and 
Judaism.  Both  factors  called  for  due  recognition:  in- 
struction concerning  the  salvation  procured  by  God 
through  Christ  and  appropriated  in  the  Spirit,  and  in- 
struction concerning  the  moral  standard  required  of  a 
disciple  of  Christ. 

Should  the  apostles  have  had  any  doubt  concern- 
ing the  proper  arrangement  of  the  baptismal  instruction 
for  Gentiles,  the  proselyting  method  in  vogue  among 
the  Jews  readily  suggested  itself  as  model.  Before  and 
alongside  of  the  apostles  the  missionaries  of  the  Jews 
went  forth  (Matth.  23,  15),  and  developed  a  successful 
propaganda,  thus  creating  a  genuine  proselyte  catechu- 
menate.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  apostles  are  known 
commonly  to  have  adopted  in  the  expression  of  their  re- 
ligious and  moral  life,  both  in  public  and  private,  the 
historic  forms  of  Judaism,  what  could  have  appeared 
more  natural  to  them  than,  within  the  limits  drawn 
by  their   faith,   to   join   their  baptismal   instruction,   in 


14         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

respect  to  form,  to  that  of  the  proselyte  catechumenate, 
especially  since  the  latter,  too,  embraced  instruction  in 
faith  and  morals,  and  terminated  in  a  baptism? 

The  facts  in  regard  to  the  proselyte  catechumenate  are 
these :  When  anyone  had  declared  his  willingness  to  become 
a  member  of  the  covenant  people,  he  first  received  instruction 
in  regard  to  the  God  that  had  created  the  world  and  miracu- 
lously led  forth  Israel.  Thereby  he  took  upon  himself  "the 
yoke  of  the  kingdom  of  God".  This  was  followed  by  instruc- 
tion in  regard  to  the  right  morals:  based  in  point  of  content 
upon  Lev.  18  and  19,  it  can  at  this  day  yet  be  unravelled  from 
the  "two  ways"  in  the  "Teachings  of  the  Apostles".  By  giving 
assent  to  such  ethical  instruction,  submission  was  signalized 
to  "the  yoke  of  the  commandments".  Probably  there  was  added 
to  this  instruction  in  faith  and  morals  an  eschatological  ele- 
ment, which  treated  of  judgment  and  the  final  glory  of  Israel. 
Such  instruction  was  followed  by  the  tripartite  act  of  recep- 
tion :  1.  Circumcision  (followed  by  a  festivity) ;  2.  the  thebi- 
lah,  or  baptism  by  immersion;  3.  a  sacrifice,  for  which  in  the 
diaspora  fasting  and  alms  were  commonly  substituted. 

And  in  truth,  a  careful  scrutiny  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment discloses  the  fact  that  before  baptism  a  certain 
amount  of  instructive  material  was  delivered  to  every 
Christian,  to  which  the  apostles  were  able  to  refer 
as  the  foundation  common  to  all.  Heb.  6,  1, 
this  is  clearly  stated :  for  "the  doctrine  of  the 
first  principles  of  Christ",  through  which  the  foundation 
of  their  faith  had  been  laid  in  the  readers  of  that  epistle, 
is  nothing  but  the  instruction  through  which  the  Savior, 
operating  through  the  apostles  and  their  co-laborers, 
had  begun  His  work  in  them.  However,  the  existence 
of  such  baptismal  instruction  is  confirmed  by  quite  a 
number  of  other  passages,  especially  I  Thess.  4,  1 ;  II 
Thess.  3,  6;  I  Cor.  4,  17  (at  6Sot  fxov  iv  Xptorw)  ;  Rom.  6, 
17  (to  be  analyzed  as  follows:    ek  rbv  tvttov  (rij^)  8t8ax^, 

ov    Trape860rjT€    =    os    7rapeS60y]    vfxlv)  \    16,    17;    Eph.    4,    20 


Instruction  During  Apostolic  Age  IS 

(SiSdo-KeaOai  koI  /xavOdveLv  tov  Xpiarov) .  Let  special  heed 
be  given  to  the  terms  irapdhoa^,  Trapabihovai,  likewise  to  the 
corresponding  terms  Trapakafxßdvetv  and  fmvßdvetv,  and  let 
the  fact  be  borne  in  mind  that  irapdhoms  was  used  by  the 
Jews  to  express  the  oral  transmission  of  the  law  (Mark 
7,  3).  If  the  passages  adduced  refer  to  instruction  in 
morals,  then  I  Cor.  15,  3—5;  I  Tim.  6,  11,  etc.,  and  II 
Tim.  3,  10—4,  3  (compare  also  Rom.  6,  4;  Col.  2,  11 — 
13;  I  Peter  3,  18—22),  refer  to  instruction  in  the  faith. 
Neither  was  the  eschatological  weft  lacking  in  the  fab- 
ric of  such  instruction,  as  appears  from  Heb.  6,  2  (com- 
pare Didache  16). 

It  is  quite  possible  for  us  to  draw  from  the  litera- 
ture extant  rather  definite  conclusions  concerning  the 
general  contents  of  such  body  of  evangelical  truths  and 
practical  precepts.  As  a  case  in  point  we  refer  to  the 
warning  given  to  the  Thessalonians  (I  Thess.  4,  3 — 8)  in 
close  connection  with  a  reminder  of  previous  precepts 

(V.   1  :     Ka6o)<i  7rape\.dßeTe  irap'  7]p,<öv,  etc.;  V.  2:      oiSare,  TiVas 

7ra/oayye/\ias  e&d)Kap.€v  vplv) .  From  those  warnings,  which 
were  directed  against  adultery  and  the  passions  of  cove- 
tousness  and  avarice,  the  conclusion  is  inevitable  that 
the  admonition  against  those  sins  was  an  integral  ele- 
ment of  the  body  of  truths  and  precepts  in  question. 
Inasmuch  as  we  meet  the  same  sins  again  in  what  might 
be  called  the  sin  and  vice  catalogues  (Gal.  5,  19,  etc.; 
I  Cor.  6,  9,  etc.;  Eph.  5,  3—5;  Col.  3,  5,  etc.;  Rom.  1, 
29,  etc.;  I  Cor.  5,  10,  etc.;  I  Tim.  1,  9,  etc.;  Rev.  21,  8; 
22,  15),  and  these  catalogues,  like  those  of  the  corre- 
sponding virtues  (e.  g.  Gal.  5,  22  ff . ;  Eph.  5,  9),  and  like 
the  passages  embodying  family  precepts  (e.  g.  Eph. 
5,  22— 6,9;  Col.  3,-18,  etc.;  I  Peter  3,  1—7),  bear  a  form 
that  suggests  as  basis  a  definite,  though  by  no  means 


16         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

uniform,  pattern,  the  thought  cannot  be  avoided  that 
these  passages  constitute  a  part  of  those  moral  precepts. 
The  references  quoted  were  intended  as  a  reminder  of 
that  body  of  doctrines  and  precepts  formerly  delivered 
to  the  congregations,  coupled  with  a  partial  enumeration 
of  the  particular  sins  against  which  the  congregation 
was  to  be  on  its  guard,  and  of  the  virtues  to  be  especially 
exercised.  The  method  of  the  apostle  is  analogous  to 
that  of  the  preacher  of  today  who  lends  emphasis  to  an 
admonition  by  calling  to  mind  the  one  or  the  other  part 
of  the  Catechism.  Moreover,  since  1883  we  have  been  so 
fortunate  as  to  possess  in  the  "two  ways"  of  the  Didache 
(Chap.  1 — 6),  an  illustration  of  the  moral  formulas  then 
in  vogue,  a  fact  which  does  not  only  prove  the  correct- 
ness of  above  conclusions,  but  also  demonstrates  a  thor- 
ough dependence  upon  the  proselyte  catechumenate  of 
the  Jews,  inasmuch  as  the  "two  ways"  of  the  Didache 
are  merely  a  Christian  re-construction  of  what  had  orig- 
inally been  a  Jewish  catechism  for  proselytes.  Already 
in  the  days  of  Paul  definite  terms  for  the  designation  of 
such  material  for  moral  instruction  appear  to  have  been 
developed.  As  notable  examples,  besides  the  expres- 
sions "way"  and  "doctrine",  both  used  in  a  wider  and  a 
narrower  sense  (StSax^),  (Rom.  6,  17;  16,  17;  I  Cor.  4, 
17;  cf.  Acts  9,  2),  may  serve  the  phrases  "sound  doc- 
trine" (I  Tim.  1,  10;  II  Tim.  4,  3;  Tit.  2,  1),  and  "the 
good  doctrine"  (SiSao-KaAi'a,  I  Tim.  4,  6;  cf.  5,  17).  The 
fact  that  "the  doctrines  of  Christ"  (SiSay/x-ara  tov  Xpiarov) 
were  at  a  later  day  positively  identified  with  his  moral 
precepts  (Matth.  28,  19  and  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount) 
is  likewise  significant  (cf.  Justin,  Ap.  1,  14 — 17). 

The  content  of  the  doctrine  of  faith  is  suggested 
by  that  of  the  formula  of  faith  as  found  in  connection 


Instruction  During  Apostolic  Age  17 

with  baptism.  Although  the  latter  is  not  extant  in  its 
entirety,  nor  likely  to  have  been  an  invariable  quantity, 
although  some  features  were  never  absent,  it  is  clear, 
according  to  2  Tim.  3,  10,  etc.;  1  Tim.  6,  13,  etc.;  1  Cor. 
15,  3,  4,  and  other  passages,  that  it  treated  first  of  God 
and  then  of  Christ,  an  order  which  afforded  opportunity 
to  stress  the  christological  features.  It  appears  that  in 
this  formula  of  faith  God  was  confessed  as  the  Creator 
of  every  living  thing  and  Christ  as  sent  by  Him  (?), 
as  coming  from  the  seed  of  David,  making  His  con- 
fession before  (or  under)  Pontius  Pilate,  having  died 
for  our  sins  according  to  Scripture,  appearing  to  Ce- 
phas and  afterward  to  the  twelve,  ascended  to  heaven 
(?),  having  under  Him  the  angels,  principalities,  and 
powers,  returning  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead.  All 
doubt  that  the  doctrine  concerning  God  and  Christ  was 
integrated  in  the  teaching  of  the  faith,  disappears  in 
view  of  this  formula.  It  is  probable  that  the  doctrine  of 
God  differed  little  from  that  found  in  the  Jewish  cate- 
chumenate  for  proselytes.  What  was  stressed,  how- 
ever, was  the  fact  that  God  fulfills  His  promises,  and 
sends  His  Son  into  the  world  for  its  salvation.  The 
recurring  phrase  "according  to  the  Scriptures"  (1  Cor. 
15,  3,  etc.)  indicates  that  the  favorite  argument  of  later 
times,  that  based  upon  prophecy  and  fulfilment  (e.  g. 
Justin,  Apol.  1,  32,  etc.,  and  the  Epideixis  of  Irenaeus), 
played  an  important  role  in  the  baptismal  instruction  of 
the  earliest  times.  It  is  likely  that  the  catechumen  was 
in  this  connection  introduced  to  the  main  features  of  the 
history  of  Jesus  and  to  their  significance  for  the  plan  of 
salvation  (1  Cor.  15,  3:  vrrep  tCov  afxapruov  rjfxwv).  We 
perceive  here  the  first  traces  of  Biblical  History  as  cate- 
chetical material.    Nor  can  this  have  been  the  case  with- 


]8         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

out  strong  emphasis  being  laid  upon  the  title  of  Jesus  to 
sovereign  power  over  everything  in  heaven  and  on  earth, 
and  to  worship  as  the  true  "Lord",  in  whom  is  compre- 
hended all  salvation.  Were  this  not  the  case,  mention 
could  not  have  been  made  in  the  Epistles  of  those  things 
in  terms  that  almost  sound  like  formulas  (1  Pet.  3,  22; 
Eph.  1,  20  ff. ;  Col.  2,  10;  Rom.  8,  34) ;  nor  could  the  con- 
fession of  Christ  as  Lord  receive  such  formulation  as  is 
accorded  to  it  in  Rom.  10,  9;  Phil.  2,  11;  1  Cor.  12,  3; 
compare  also  Acts  2,  36. — It  also  appears  that  the  doc- 
trine of  faith  gave  rise  to  current  expressions.  Along- 
side the  terms  of  occasionally  wider  connotation  hiSaxn, 
and  oSos,  irapaOrjKT]  (1  Tim.  6,  2.  20;  2  Tim.  15  12.  14); 
7n<7Tis  (Gal.  1,  23 ;  1  Tim.  6,  21 ;  Jude  20),  and  perhaps  also 
&)ayyc\iov  (Rom.  2,  16;  2  Tim.  2,  8)  must  be  considered. 

In  agreement  with  the  deduction  thus  far  drawn  is 
Heb.  6,  1 — 2,  no  matter  which  reading  (BiSax^  or  SiSax??v) 
we  choose,  or  what  construction  we  may  elect.  The 
turning  away  of  the  heart  from  dead  works  is  the  object 
of  the  moral  instruction,  while  the  turning  of  the  heart 
to  God  is  that  of  the  instruction  in  the  summary  of  faith. 
That  the  eschatological  element,  instead  of  being  con- 
nected with  the  one  or  the  other,  occurs  at  this  place 
independently,  is  perhaps  explained  by  the  particular 
circumstances  of  the  readers.  We  are  led  a  step  farther 
by  the  passage :  "The  doctrine  of  the  baptisms  and 
(as  connected  therewith)  of  the  laying  on  of  hands". 
What  otherwise  would  have  been  inferred  as  self-evi- 
dent, is  here  clearly  expressed,  namely,  that  instruction 
was  given  relative  to  baptism  itself.  Although  the  plural 
may  compel  one  to  think  of  the  baptism  of  proselytes, 
or  of  John's  baptism,  or  of  other  washings,  the  fact 
remains  that  instruction  was  given  concerning  the  pecu- 


Instruction  During  Apostolic  Age  19 

liar  value  of  Christian  baptism  in  distinction  from  bap- 
tisms not  Christian.  The  laying  on  of  hands  here  men- 
tioned can  be  no  other  than  that  in  vogue  in  connection 
with  baptism.  It  is  possible  that  the  remission  of  sins 
was  ascribed  to  baptism  as  effect,  and  the  impartation  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  laying  on  of  hands  (Acts  8,  17), 
thus  distributing  over  two  acts  of  simultaneous  per- 
formance what,  in  Acts  2,  38,  was  connected  with  the  one 
act  of  baptism.  But  whatever  specific  importance  may 
have  been  attached  to  baptism  proper  and  the  laying 
on  of  hands  respectively,  this  much  is  clear  that  the 
remission  of  sins  and  the  impartation  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
were  treated  of  in  connection  with  Holy  Baptism.  Were 
this  not  the  case,  the  reception  of  the  Holy  Spirit  could 
not  have  been  named  in  Gal.  3,  1 — 14  as  the  specifically 
new  gift  of  Christianity ;  neither  could  the  coming  to 
faith  and  the  sealing  through  the  promised  Spirit  be  so 
closely  connected  in  Eph.  1,  13;  nor  could  John  speak  as, 
he  does  of  the  anointing  from  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  quite 
possible,  so  far  as  the  readers  are  concerned,  that 
the  expressions  "sealing"  and  "anointing"  were  to  them 
a  denotation  of  baptism.  Let  also  Acts  19,  2  ff.,  Gal. 
4,  4 — 6,  and  Rom.  8,  15  be  compared;  nor  should  the 
close  connection  between  adoption  and  divine  sonship 
and  baptism  be  overlooked. 

When  the  Jews  admitted  a  proselyte  to  their  reli- 
gion, his  circumcision  was  followed  by  a  festive  meal. 
Examining  the  Didache,  we  discover  that  the  order  of 
instruction  of  catechumens  concluded  with  Holy  Com- 
munion, the  preceding  parts  being:  instruction  (ch.  1 — 
6),  Baptism  (ch.  7),  the  Lord's  Prayer  (chapter  8),  and 
the  Lord's  Supper.  Justin  (Ap.  I,  65)  testifies  that 
Baptism  was  followed  by  Holy  Communion,  a  practice 


20         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

which,  together  with  the  universal  usage  in  apostolic 
times  of  celebrating  Holy  Communion,  justifies  the  view 
that  also  the  words  of  institution  were  imparted  to  the 
catechumen.  1  Cor.  11,  23,  expressly  confirms  this  con- 
clusion, leaving  in  doubt  merely  the  minor  question  as 
to  the  time  when  the  words  of  institution  were  imparted, 
before  or  after  baptism. 

Finally,  in  the  light  of  later  usage  and  the  order  of 
instruction  given  in  the  Didache,  it  appears  probable 
that,  immediately  before  or  after  baptism,  the  Lord's 
Prayer  was  imparted  to  the  catechumen,  a  conclusion 
that  receives  corroboration  from  such  passages  as  Gal. 
4,  6  and  Rom.  8,  15.  At  all  events,  the  passages  re- 
ferred to  lead  to  the  assumption  that  Paul  desires  to 
remind  the  readers  of  some  well  known  prayer,  offered 
by  them  at  their  common  services  and  beginning  with 
"Father".  Thus  also  the  juxtaposition  of  the  Aramaic 
"Abba"  and  the  Greek  6  irar^p  is  most  satisfactorily  ex- 
plained in  the  following  manner :  Just  as  the  Christians 
of  Greek  speech  used  the  Aramaic  words  Amen,  Halle- 
lujah, Hosannah,  Maranatha  unchanged  in  their  wor- 
ship, so  likewise  the  Aramaic  "Abba",  both  to  designate 
the  Lord's  Prayer  and  to  begin  it,  adding,  moreover,  the 
Greek  equivalent.  All  the  facts  bearing  upon  the  matter 
favor  this  assumption :  Having  become  children  of  God 
through  baptism,  and  having  experienced  the  imparta- 
tion  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  then  offered  the  prayer  of 
the  children  of  God. 

It  is  thus  clear  that  the  elements  employed  today 
by  the  Church  in  her  instruction  are  rooted  in  apos- 
tolic times. 

Baptismal  instruction  ended,  the  catechumens  were 
led  to  baptism.     Taking  the  baptism  of  John  as  analo- 


Instruction  During  Apostolic  Age  21 

gous,  and  following  Acts  2,  38  as  guide,  we  may  as- 
sume a  confession  of  sin  as  introductory  to  the  baptismal 
rite  proper.  Tit.  2,  12  (apvrjadfievot)  renders  the  con- 
clusion justifiable  that  there  was  also  an  act  of  renuncia- 
tion, while  1  Tim.  6,  12  and  Heb.  10,  22,  etc.,  point  to  a 
previous  confession  of  faith.  If  we  assume  that  the  lat- 
ter was  pronounced  by  the  person  performing  the  rite, 
it  is  probable  that  the  recipient  of  baptism  made  the 
confession  his  own  with  the  words,  "Jesus  is  Lord" 
(1  Cor.  12,  3;  Rom.  10,  9).  Concerning  the  administra- 
tion of  baptism  itself,  the  Didache  writes  (ch.  7)  : 
"Baptize  into  (efe)  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the 
Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  (tV)  flowing  water  (vSart 
£<oi/ri).  Having  no  flowing  water,  use  another  kind. 
If  cold  water  is  impracticable  take  warm  water.  If 
you  have  neither,  pour  upon  the  head  water  three  times 
in  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the 
Holy  Spirit".  The  injunction  is  added:  "Before  bap- 
tism both  the  person  that  baptizes  and  he  that  is  bap- 
tized shall  fast,  and  such  others  as  may  be  able  to  do  so. 
The  person  baptized  shall  be  commanded  to  fast  for  one 
or  two  days  previous".  Of  the  laying  on  of  hands  no 
more  mention  is  made  here  than,  for  instance,  in  Acts 
2,  38  ff.  The  recitation  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the 
reception  of  the  Holy  Communion  probably  followed 
Baptism  (ch.  8—10). 

It  is  nowhere  expressly  mentioned  by  whom  baptis- 
mal instruction  was  given.  However,  it  is  likely  that  the 
apostles  and  their  co-laborers  gave  it;  nor  were  lay- 
men excluded,  provided  they  were  rich  in  knowledge. 
We  may  be  sure  that  the  teachers  mentioned  in  1  Cor. 
12,  28  and  Eph.  4,  11 — 12  alongside  of  the  apostles  and 


22 


The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 


prophets,  performed  also  other  than  merely  intracon- 
gregational  tasks  (Gal.  6,  6).  When  Paul  taught  in 
Antioch  large  numbers  for  a  year  (Acts  11,  26);  when 
he  taught  for  a  year  and  a  half  in  Corinth  (Acts  18, 
11);  and  finally,  when  he  disputed  for  three  months  in 
Ephesus  (Acts  19,  8),  it  is  evident  that  he  himself  pre- 
pared by  his  testimony  those  made  willing  for  the  step 
of  baptism,  no  matter  how  great  the  number  of  his  co- 
laborers.  Of  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  too,  it  is  said  that 
they  expounded  the  way  of  the  Lord  more  accurately  to 
Apollo  (Acts  18,  26)  ;  nor  can  we  avoid  the  immediate 
impression  that  such  exposition  preceded  his  baptism. 
There  is  little  room  for  the  view  that  there  were  no 
others  of  the  laity  that  taught,  although  gradually  the 
''elders",  with  the  "teachers'' 'already  mentioned,  occu- 
pied the  foreground.  If  what  follows  be  used  as  criteri- 
on, also  the  twelfth  chapter  of  the  Didache  refers  to 
itinerant  teachers. 

The  writings  of  the  apostolic  fathers  do  not  add 
anything  to  the  information  so  far  gained.  In  the 
Epistle  of  Barnabas  we  find  the  "two  ways"  (Ch.  18 — 
20).  The  "Mandata"  of  Hermas,  to  judge  by  the  testi- 
mony of  Eusebius  (Hist.  eccl.  III.  3,  6),  were  looked 
upon  by  some  as  indispensable  to  such  as  were  to  receive 
instruction  in  the  rudiments.  Even  Justin  does  not 
bring  anything  essentially  new.  He  writes  (Ap.  1,  61)  : 
"All  those  who  have  been  convinced,  believing  that 
what  we  teach  and  speak  is  true,  and  warranting  the 
expectation  of  leading  a  life  in  accordance  with  it,  are 
prompted  to  pray  and  to  implore  with  fasting  divine 
forgiveness  of  the  sins  of  the  past;  and  we  pray  and  fast 
with  them".     Thereupon  baptism  is  administered. 


Development  Between  180  and  325  23 

6.  The  Development  of  the  Graded  Catechumenate  Be- 
tween 180  and  325. 
G.  v.  Zezschwitz  I,  ch.  8—9;  II  1,  ch.  17.  21.  26—27.  30—32. 
— E.  Sachsse,  p.  4— 115.— E.  Chr.Achelis  II.  pp.  281— 294.— J.  H. 
Holtzmann,  pp.  76— 85.— F.  Cohrs.  Katechumenat.  RE,  1901.— 
O.  Moei,  Die  Apostellehre  u.  d.  Dakalog  im  Unterricht  der  alten 
Kirche.  1896. — E.  v.  d.  Goltz.  Das  Gebet  i.  d.  aeltesten  Christen- 
heit. 1901. — Concerning  grades  in  the  Catechumenate  see  also : 
Fr.  Propst,  Lehre  vom  Gebet,  pp.  119  ff.;  Katechese  und  Pre- 
digt, pp.  39  ff. :  Geschichte,  pp.  6  ff.— F.  H.  Funk,  Die  Katechu- 
menatsklassen  des  christlichen  Altertums  (Theol.  Quartalschrift 
1883,  pp.  41  ff.;  1886,  pp.  355  ff.;  1889,  pp.  434  ff.).— F.  H.  Funk, 
Kirchengeschichtliche  Abhandlungen,  1897,  pp.  209— 241.— Ed. 
Schwartz,  Bussstufen  und  Katechumenatsklassen  (Schriften  der 
wissenschaftlichen  Gesellschaft  Strassburgs,  7),  1911. — Irenaei 
opera,  ed.  by  Stieren,  2  vols.,  1848 — 1853. — The  five  books  against 
heresies,  German  by  E.  Klebba,  1912,  KB2 ;  English  in  ANF,  vol. 
2;  Presentation  of  the  Apostolic  Message  (evdei&s  tuv 
<x7to(xtoXikov  KTjpvy/xaTos) ,  German  by  Karapet  Ter-Mekertschian 
and  Edward  Ter-Minassiantz,  with  notes  by  A.  Harnack,  21908; 
German  also  by  S.  Weber,  Irenaeus  II,  KB-',  1912. — Clementis 
Alexandr.  opera,  ed.  by  O.  Staehlin,  4  vols.,  1905  ff.  (BGSchr) ; 
Selected  Writings,  German  by  L.  Hopfenmueller  and  J.  Wim- 
mer,  1875  (KB1),  Protreptikos,  pp.  75 — 214;  Paidagogos,  pp. 
215 — 465. — Protreptikos,  Paidagogos  and  Stromata  in  Eng- 
lish in  ANF,  vol.  II. — Bratke,  Die  Stellung  d.  Clemens  Alex, 
z.  antiken  Mysterienwesen  (Theol.  Studien  und  Kritiken),  1887. 
— Tertulliani  opera  ed.  by  F.  Oehler,  1851—1853;  German  by 
H.  Kellner,  1882;  English  in  ANF,  vol.  3  and  4;  Tertullians 
katechetische  Schriften,  by  H.  Kellner,  1912  (KB2);  Catecheti- 
cal discourses  (perhaps  enlarged)  we  have  at  least  in  De  bap- 
tismo,  De  spcctaculis  and  in  De  poenitentia  (De  bapt.  20;  De 
spect.  1;  De  poenit.  6;  De  idol.  24).  De  poenitentia  and  de 
pudicitia,  ed.  by  E.  Preuschen,  21910;  De  praescript.  haereti- 
corum,  ed.  by  E.  Preuschen,  21910;  Adversus  Parxean,  ed.  by 
E.  Kroymann,  1907  (Krueger's  Collection). — Cypriani  opera, 
rec.  W.  Hartel,  1868—1871  (CSEL).  The  three  books  of  Testi- 
monia  are  found  in  vol.  I,  pp.  35 — 184;  De  dominica  oratione, 
vol.  I,  pp.  267—294.     Selected  Writings,   German  by  U.   Uhl,  J. 


24         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Niglutsch,  A.  Egger,  1879.  1892  (KB1).  The  three  books  of 
Testimonies  English  in  ANF,  vol.  5,  pp.  507  ff;  Treatise  on  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  pp.  447  ff.  Concerning  the  authenticity  and  pur- 
pose of  the  Testimonia  compare  Glaue's  article  in  Zeitschrift 
fuer  neutestl.  Wissenschaft,  1907. — Origenis  opera,  ed.  by  P. 
Koetschau,  E.  Preuschen  and  E.  Klostermann,  1889  ff. 
(BGSchr).  Books  against  Celsus,  vol.  I,  pp.  52 — 324;  vol.  II, 
pp.  1 — 293;  On  Prayer,  vol.  II,  pp.  294 — 403;  De  principiis,  vol. 
5,  pp.  1 — 364.  Selected  Writings  of  Origenes,  German  by  Roehm 
and  J.  Kohlhofer,  1874—1876  (KB1),  On  Prayer,  vol.  I,  pp.  21 
ff. ;  Against  Celsus,  Voi.  II  and  III.  De  principiis  and  Against 
Celsus,  English  by  F.  Crombie,.  ANF  IV,  pp.  239  ff. ;  IV,  pp. 
395  ff. — Canones  Hippolyti  by  H.  Achelis  (Texte  u.  Untersuch- 
ungen 6,  4),  1891. — Didascalia,  translated  into  German  from  the 
Syrian  by  H.  Achelis  and  J  Flemming,  1904. — Didascalia  et 
Constitutiones  Apostolorum,  ed.  by  Fr.  X.  Funk,  2  vols.,  1905. 
The  So-called  Apostolic  Constitutions  and  Canons,  German  by 
F.  Boxler,  1874  (KB1);  English  in  ANF,  vol.  7,  pp.  391  ff.  The 
relation  of  the  Canones  Hippolyti  to  the  Constitutions  and  other 
writings  briefly  treated  by  Jordan,  pp.  348  ff. — P.  Drews,  Der 
literarische  Charakter  der  neuentdeckten  Schrift  des  Irenaeus 
(Zeitschrift  fuer  heutestamentliche  Wissenschaft),  1907. — A. 
Harnack,  Ueber  den  privaten  Gebrauch  der  heiligen  Schriften 
in  der  alten  Kirche,  1912. 

With  the  end  of  the  second  century  there  came  a 
change  of  great  significance  for  the  Church.  It  was  a 
period  of  rapid,  general  growth,  but  also  of  general 
persecutions,  the  first  of  which,  under  Septimius  Seve- 
rus,  was  directed  particularly  against  the  catechumens 
for  their  resolution  of  acquiring  membership  in  the 
Church.  The  instinct  of  self-preservation  alive  in  the 
Church,  more  than  ever  rendered  the  greatest  caution 
in  regard  to  the  admission  of  new  members  necessary, 
and  compelled,  from  the  outset,  the  rejection  of  those 
whose  character  and  occupation  did  not  seem  to  warrant 
faith  in  their  ability  to  meet  the  new  demands.  Even 
where  such  obstacles  did  not  exist,  admission  to  mem- 


Development  Between  180  and  325  25 

bership  necessitated  a  rather  lengthy  period  of  probation 
and  preparation,  during  which  those  concerned  needed, 
and  rightly  required,  loving  care  on  the  part  of  the 
Church.  The  latter  recognized  this  task  and  endeavored 
to  do  justice  to  it  by  the  adoption  of  conditions  of  mem- 
bership and  the  development  of  a  graded  catechume- 
nate. 

From  the  writing  of  Irenaeus,  "Evfict^is  rov  airovroXinov 
Kripvyfiaros,  discovered  in  1907  and  evidently  written 
after  190,  inferences  may  be  drawn  regarding  the  pains- 
taking method  used  in  the  preparation  of  prospective 
church  members.  According  to  this  authority,  such 
preparation,  at  least  in  the  Gallic  city  of  Lyons,  began 
with  the  threefold  baptismal  confession,  and  contained 
a  history  of  the  revelation  of  God  and  of  the  economy 
of  grace  from  creation  to  the  entrance  of  the  Israelites 
in  Canaan,  adding  a  brief  reference  to  Solomon  and 
the  prophets,  and  it  closed  with  a  succinct  presentation 
of  the  incarnation  and  the  redemptive  work  of  Christ 
as  a  perfect  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  stress,  however, 
being  laid  upon  moral  discipline,  both  at  the  beginning 
and  the  end. 

More  information  is  vouchsafed  by  Tertullian.  His 
writings  clearly  disclose  the  process  by  which  definite 
principles  in  regard  to  the  admission  of  new  members 
were  developed  (compare  in  this  connection  the  "Can- 
ones  Hippolyti",  a  constitution  given  by  the  author 
about  220  to  his  independent  congregation  at  Rome)  ; 
the  establishment  of  the  catechumenate  as  a  distinct 
order  in  the  Church ;  the  loving  care  accorded  to  its 
members ;  and  the  emphasis  placed  upon  moral  discipline 
by  means  of  discourses  in  the  form  of  sermons.  The 
statements  of  Cyprian  in  regard  to  this  point  reveal  the 


26         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

existence  of  the  same  conditions  at  his  time.  However, 
his  "Testimonia"  exhibit  an  earnest  effort'  to  acquaint 
the  catechumens  with  the  Holy  Scriptures,  inasmuch  as 
they  are  nothing  but  a  collection  of  scriptural  passages, 
gathered  by  him,  according  to  his  own  statement,  for 
Quirinus  the  catechumen,  as  an  aid  for  him  in  the  for- 
mation of  the  rudiments  of  faith  and  a  guide  into  the 
Scriptures  themselves. 

In  Alexandria  we  encounter  distinct  grades  among 
the  catechumens.  For  Origen,  in  a  passage  of  his  book 
(Contra  Celsum  III,  51)  that  has  received  diverse  inter- 
pretations, warrants  the  following  conclusions:  1.  That 
the  admission  of  catechumens  was  preceded  in  Alex- 
andria by  examination  and  instruction,  pains  being  taken 
on  the  occasion  to  impart  general  information  in  regard 
to  Christianity,  and  to  inquire  into  the  moral  status 
of  the  applicant.  Whether  officers  of  the  congregation 
or  experienced  laymen  were  entrusted  with  this  task, 
we  do  not  know ;  2.  That  the  order  of  catechumens 
proper,  to  which  instruction  and  a  satisfactory  proba- 
tion led  the  way,  and  membership  in  which  implied  the 
privilege  of  participating  in  the  public  services,  was 
again  divided  into  two  classes,  of  which  the  one  em- 
braced those  newly  admitted,  the  other  those  who  had 
stood  the  test  and  demonstrated  by  their  life  their  sin- 
cere devotion  to  Christian  ideals.  Probably  the  last 
class  did  not  keep  its  members  back  very  long;  for 
why  should  those  already  sufficiently  tested  be  subject 
to  still  further  delay?  Transition  from  the  lower  to 
the  higher  stage  was  marked  by  the  symbol  of  purifica- 
tion, that  is,  renunciation  and  exorcism,  whereas  en- 
trance upon  full  membership  in  the  congregation  was 
naturally    consummated    through    Baptism.      No    infor- 


Development   Between   180  and  325  27 

mation  is  vouchsafed  in  the  passage  in  question  relative 
to  the  material  and  method  of  instruction,  although, 
quite  characteristically,  stress  is  once  more  laid  upon 
moral  discipline.  As  means  thereof  Origen  names  re- 
peatedly Moses  and  his  law,  without  having  specifically 
in  mind  the  Decalogue.  Of  great  importance  to  him  is 
the  reading  of  Holy  Scripture.  In  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  Apocrypha  of  the  Old  Testament  contain  few  in- 
tellectual difficulties,  but  abound  in  moral  maxims,  he 
emphasizes  the  study  of  these  as  more  suitable  for  the 
catechumens  than  that  of  the  other  books,  deeming  them 
the  right  kind  of  milk  for  the  weak  and  beginners. 
Some  passages  (cf.  Celsus  VI,  10;  Horn.  V  in  Iudices ; 
De  princ.  praef.)  lead  to  the  inference  that  when  the 
catechumens  had  reached  the  close  of  their  period,  in- 
struction was  given  respecting  the  baptismal  confession 
and  the  significance  of  the  Sacraments. 

In  case  the  order  of  baptism  found  in  the  Apostolic 
Constitutions  (VII,  39,  etc.)  is  really  to  be  traced  back 
to  Lucian  the  Martyr  (311 — 12),  we  have  a  valuable 
testimony  therein  regarding  catechetical  instruction  as 
it  obtained  in  Antioch.  In  that  case,  the  material  of 
instruction  at  the  latter  place  was  identical  with  that 
obtaining,  according  to  the  testimony  of  Irenaeus,  in 
Lyons.  The  employment  of  Biblical  History  as  an  ele- 
ment of  moral  discipline  is  especially  worthy  of  notice. 
Also  at  Antioch  such  division  into  classes  appears  to 
have  been  known,  the  passing  from  the  one  to  the  other 
being  signalized  by  a  laying  on  of  hands  accompanied 
with  prayer. 

At  the  close  of  the  period  in  question  the  difference 
of  the  several  classes  of  the  catechumenate,was  gen- 
erally   recognized.      Whereas    the    preliminary    stage, 


28  The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction  * 

characterized  by  private  instruction,  of  which  Origen 
bears  witness,  is  heard  of  no  longer,  it  is  clear  that  the 
candidates  entered  the  regular  order  of  catechumens 
after  passing  an  examination;  and  that,  after  remaining 
therein  for  a  considerable  period,  they  made  application 
for  baptismal  instruction,  which  would  come  to  a  close 
with  the  sacrament,  usually  about  Easter.  While,  in  gen- 
eral, the  duration  of  the  catechumenate  was  adjusted  to 
special  circumstances,  a  rule  was  made  toward  the  end 
requiring  a  period  of  two  or  three  years. 

7.     The  Catechumenate  in  Perfected  Form,  About 
325—450. 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  I,  ch.  8—10;  II.  1,  chaps.  17.  22—24.  27. 
30— 33.— H.  J.  Holtzmann,  pp.  66  ff.— F.  Wiegand,  pp.  1—176.— 
E.  Chr.  Achelis,  pp.  286 — 294.  Compare  also  general  literature 
given  in  chapters  4  and  6. — K.  Krawutzky,  Die  Katechesen  d. 
Augustin  und  die  Vaterunserkatechesen  d.  Augustin  (Neues  St. 
Hedwigsblatt,  Breslau),  1875— 1877.— K.  Knoke,  Zur  Methodik 
d.  bibl.  Geschichte  I,  21878. — O.  Moe,  Die  Apostellehre  und  der 
Dekalog  im  Unterricht  der  alten  Kirche,  1896.— K.  Weiss,  Die 
Erziehungslehre  der  Kappadozier,  1903.— W.  Kroll,  Alte  Tauf- 
gebraeuche,  1905  (Archiv  fuer  Religionswissenschaft  VIII, 
supplem.  pp.  27  ft'.). — E.  Chr.  Achelis,  Der  Dekalog  als  Kateche- 
tisches Lehrstueck.  1905. — P.  Rentschka,  Die  Dekalogkatechesen 
d.  Augustin.  1905. — F.  J.  Doelger,  Der  Exorzismus  im  altchristl. 
Taufritual,  1909  (Studien  z.  Geschichte  u.  Kultur  d.  Altertums 
III,  1  and  2). — J.  Kunze,  Die  Uebergabe  der  Evangelien  beim 
Taufunterricht,  1909.— G.  Rietschel,  Lehrbuch  d.  Liturgik  II, 
1909. — R.  Reitzenstein,  Von  den  dreierlei  Fruechten  d.  christl. 
Lebens,  eine  fruehchristliche  lat.  Predigt,  1914  (Zeitschrift  fuer 
neutestamentliche  Wissenschaft,  No.  1),  of  importance  in  this 
connection  on  account  of  its  emphasis  of  the  Decalogue;  com- 
pare E.  Seeberg,  Eine  neuaufgefundene  lat.  Predigt  aus  dem  3. 
Jahrhundert  (Neue  kirchl.  Zeitschrift  1914,  Numbers  6  and  7), 
especially  pp.  506  ff. — Concerning  mystery  cults:  Chr.  A.  Lo- 
beck,   Aglaophamus    de    theologiae    Graecorum    causis,    2   vols., 


Catechumenate  in  Perfected  Form,  325 — 450  29 

1829. — G.  v.  Zezschwitz  I,  chap.  10. — N.  Bonwetsch,  Wesen,  Ent- 
stehung und  Fortgang  der  Arkandisziplin,  1873  (Zeitschrift  fuer 
hist.  Theologie,  pp.  201— 299).— E.  Rohde,  Psyche.  Seelenkult 
und  Unsterblichkeitsglaube  der  Griechen,  1890  (the  Eleusinian 
mysteries,  pp.  257  ff.;  the  Orphic  teachings,  p.  395 — 428). — G. 
Anrieh,  Das  antike  Mysterienwesen  in  seinem  Einfluss  auf  das 
Christentum,  1894.— N.  Bonwetsch,  Arkandisziplin,  1897  (RE).— 
A.  Mommsen,  Die  Feste  der  Stadt  Athen  im  Altertum,  1898  (pp. 
204  ff.;  405  ff.).— P.  D.  Chantepie  de  la  Saussaye,  Lehrbuch  d. 
Religionsgeschichte  II,  31905  (pp.  362  ff.).— L.  R.  Farneil,  The 
Cults  of  the  Greek  States  III,  1907  (pp.  164— 199).— A.  Dietrich, 
Eine  Mithrasliturgie,  -1910. — F.  Cumont,  Die  orientalischen  Re- 
ligionen im  roemischen  Heidentum,  1910. — R.  Reitzenstein,  Die 
hellenistischen,  Mysterien,  1910. — A.  Jakoby,  Die  antiken  Myste- 
rienreligionen u.  d.  Christentum,  1910. — F.  Cumont,  Die  Myste- 
rien des  Mithra,  -191 1. — M.  Manitius,  Geschichte  der  christlich- 
lateinischen Poesie  bis  zur  Mitte  des  8.  Jahrhunderts,  1891. — 
Commodiani  carmina,  ed.  B.  Dombart,  1887  (Instructiones,  p. 
3 — 112;  Carmen  apologeticum,  pp.  115 — 188),  CS  EL;  The  In- 
structiones, English  by  R.  E.  Wallis,  in  ANF,  vol.  IV,  pp.  199 
— 218. — Juvenci  evangeliorum  libri  quattuor,  ed.  I,  Huemer,  1891, 
CSEL. — Sulpicii  Severi  opera,  rec.  C.  Halm,  1866,  CSEL  (Chro- 
nica, pp.  3 — 105). — Sedulii  opera,  rec.  I  Huemer,  1885,  CSEL 
(Carmen  paschale,  pp.  14 — 146;  Opus  paschale,  pp.  175 — 303). — 
Cyrilli  Hieros.  opera  ed.  in  Greek  and  Latin  by  W.  K.  Reischl, 
2  vols,  1848  and  1860  (Catechetical  Discourses  I,  pp.  1—320 
and  II,  pp.  1 — 398) ;  Catechetical  Discourses,  German  by  J. 
Nirschl.  1871,  KB*.  English  by  Gifford,  NPNF^,  vol.  7.— 
Gregory  Nazianzen  (MSG  35 — 38),  Selected  Writings,  German 
by  J.  Roehm,  First  vol,  1874  (Discourse  on  baptism,  pp.  48 — 
91),  KB1— Gregory  of  Nyssa  (MSG  44—46)  :  Selected  Writings, 
German  by  H.  Hayd  and  J.  Fisch,  1874  and  1880  (The  Logos 
Katechetikos  Vol.  I,  pp.  123 — 205;  Discourses  on  Prayer  (The 
Lord's  Prayer)  vol.  II,  pp.  10 — 81 ;  Discourse  on  Epiphany, 
vol.  II,  pp.  276 — 296),  KB1.  Oratio  catech.  and  Orationes  de 
precatione,  ed.  with  Latin  translation  by  J.  G.  Krabinger,  1838 
and  1840.— Basil,  The  Great  (MSG  29—32)  :  Selected  Writings, 
German  by  V.  Groene,  vol.  I.  1875  (Admonition  on  baptism,  pp. 
402— 417).— Chrysostom  (MSG  47—64)  :  Selected  Writings,  in 
German  by  M.  Schmitz,  vol.  3,  1879,  KB1   (Two  Discourses  for 


30         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Catechumens,  pp.  90 — 131);  English  in  NPNF1,  vol.  9. — Ambrose 
(MSL  14—17)  :  Selected  Writings,  German  by  F.  H.  Schulte, 
1871  (De  mysteriis  pp.  119—225),  KB1;  He  can  be  called  only 
indirectly  the  author  of  "De  sacramentis".  The  "Explanatio 
Symboli",  reprinted  in  P.  Caspari's  Ungedruckte,  unbeachtete 
und  wenig  beachtete  Quellen  z.  Geschichte  d.  Taufsymbols  u.  d. 
Glaubensregel  II,  1869,  pp.  48 — 127  and  in  P.  Caspari's,  Alte 
und  neue  Quellen  etc.,  1879,  pp.  196 — 222)  is  Ambrose's  own. 
The  "Exhortatio  sancti  Ambrosii  episcopi  ad  neophitos  de  sym- 
bolo"  (reprinted  in  Caspari's,  Ungedr.  etc.  Quellen  II,  pp.  128 
— 182  and  in  Alte  und  neue  Quellen,  pp.  186 — 195)  was  not 
written  by  him.  Perhaps  it  was  written  by  Eusebius  of  Verrelli 
and  was  delivered  between  340  and  360. — Rufinus  <VMSL  21)  : 
Commenlarius  in  symbolum  apostolorum,  with  notes  and  Eng- 
lish translation,  1908;  German  by  H.  Bruell,  1876  (pp.  19—85), 
KB1. — Silviae  vel  potius  Aetheriae  Peregrinatio  ad  loca  sancta 
(CSEL  39),  ed.  W.  Heraeus,  1908.— Augustine  (MSL  32—47); 
De  catechizandis  rudibus,  ed.  by  G.  Krueger,  21909;  in  Ger- 
man :  Der  Unterricht  d.  Anfaenger  i.  Christentum,  by  Th. 
Ficker,  with  introduction  by  G.  v.  Zezschwitz,  1863,  in  English 
by  Shedd,  NPNF1,  vol.  3.  Enchiridion  ed.  by  O.  Scheel,  1903; 
German  by  J.  Molzberger  in  vol.  4  of  Augustine's  writings  pp. 
572—695  in  KB1;  English  in  NPNF1,  vol.  3.  De  fide  et  sym- 
bolo  and  De  fide  et  operibus  ed.  by  J.  Zycha  (CSEL),  1900,  pp. 
1 — 97;  English  in  NPNF1,  vol.  3.  De  fide  et  operibus,  German 
by  R.  Storf  in  vol.  IV  of  Augustine's  Writings,  pp.  485 — 565,  in 
KB1.  De  symbolo  ad  catechumenos,  German  by  R.  Storf,  ibid, 
pp.  351 — 481.  Of  the  latter  only  the  first  Sermo  was  written  by 
Augustin  (2 — 4  were  written  by  another  African  bishop,  probably 
by  Vigilius  of  Tapsus) ;  it  is  a  sample  of  Augustine's  expla- 
nation of  the  Symbol  before  Competents.  In  Sermo  220,  228, 
227  (MSL  47),  we  have  samples  of  addresses  delivered  in  con- 
nection with  the  tradition  of  the  Symbol,  or  after  baptism  before 
the  assembled  congregation.  Sermo  220,  228.  227  are  reprinted 
by  Lietzmann,  Ausgew.  Pred.  II  (Kleine  Texte  13),  1905,  pp. 
10—16.  Compare  especially  Wiegand,  pp.  42  ff. ;  83  ff  —  Petrus 
Chrysologus  (MSL  52):  Selected  Discourses,  German  by  M. 
Held,  1874,  KB1  (Especially  the  three  discourses  on  the  Symbol, 
pp.  58  ff. ;  313  ff. ;  321  ff.  and  three  discourses  on  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  pp.  65  ff. ;  326  ff. ;  331  ff.) ;  compare  Wiegand,  pp.   120 


Catechumenate  in  Perfected  Form,  325 — 450  31 

ff. — Niceta  of  Remesiana  (MSL  52) ;  Explanation  of  the  Sym- 
bol in  Caspari,  Kirchenhistorische  Anekdota  I,  1883,  pp.  341— 
360;  compare  Wiegand,  pp.  108  ft".;  compare  A.  E.  Burn,  Niceta 
of  Remesiana,  his  Life  and  Works,  1905.— Maximus  of  Turin 
(MSL  57)  :  Traktatus  de  baptismo,  an  explanation  of  the  bap- 
tismal rite  for  Neophytes  (MSL  57,  771—782) ;  there  we  find 
also  an  address  on  the  symbol  delivered  in  connection  with  the 
tradition   of  the   same;    compare   Wiegand,   pp.    133   fif. 

The  fundamental  features  of  the  catechumenate. 
the  result  of  a  gradual  development  during  the  preced- 
ing period,  we  find  in  universal  vogue  since  325  or  there- 
about. That  the  Church,  for  over  a  hundred  years,  was 
able  to  keep  vital  and  effectual  institutions  born  in  the 
throes  of  necessity,  is  surely  worthy  of  note.  Especially 
the  gradation  of  the  catechumenate  has  become  a  gen- 
eral arrangement.  While  the  preliminary  stage  authen- 
ticated by  Origen  has  dwindled  to  a  mere  introductory 
catechization,  the  difference  between  catechumens  and 
photizomens,  or  candidates  (for  baptism),  is  now  a 
prominent  feature  of  the  catechumenate  in  all  parts 
of  the  Church. 

Concerning  the  mode  of  reception  into  the  cate- 
chumenate and  the  catechization  conducted  in  that  con- 
nection, the  best  information  is  found  in  Augustine's 
work  "De  Catechizandis  Rudibus",  in  which,  at  the  re- 
quest of  Deogratias  the  deacon,  he  not  only  gives  an 
exhaustive  theoretical  presentation  of  the  matter  and 
method  of  the  introductory  catechization,  but  also  pre- 
sents two  model  catechizations,  one  long,  the  other 
short.  According  to  this  work,  a  heathen  who,  at  that 
time  (about  400)  meant  to  become  a  Christian,  was  led 
to  the  bishop,  presbyter,  or  deacon.  The  latter  would 
examine  the  motives  prompting  the  change,  and,  in  all 
probability,     also     make     inquiries     among     others     in 


32         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

regard  to  the  applicant,  for  many  became  Christians 
from  fear  or  the  desire  to  gain  men's  favor,  and  later 
merely  augmented  the  constantly  increasing  number  of 
nominal  Christians.  If  the  motives  of  the  applicant 
were  impure,  the  attempt  was  made  to  convince 
him  of  such  fact  and  to  implant  nobler  ones 
in  him,  the  treatment  accorded  him  being  deter- 
mined by  his  peculiar  condition.  The  catechi- 
zation, that  is,  the  discourse — for  the  "catechization" 
did  not  proceed  as  a  series  of  questions  and  answers ; 
cf.  ch.  1, — in  spite  of  its  distinctive  character  as  necessi- 
tated by  the  individuality  of  the  applicant,  was  to  be 
composed  of  two  elements :  a  survey  of  the  development 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God  from  creation  to  the  present  and 
a  stressing  of  the  mandates  of  true  morality.  Informed 
by  the  argument  based  on  prophecy  and  fulfilment,  the 
historical  survey  aimed  to  present  Jesus  and  His  Church 
as  the  centre  of  history,  the  love  of  God  as  the  inducing 
motive,  and  the  love  of  the  Christian  to  God  and  his 
neighbor  as  the  goal  to  be  reached.  At  the  same  time 
an  outlook  was  to  be  given  upon  judgment  and  eternal 
life  as  a  re-enforcement  of  the  exhortation  to  true  mor- 
ality. 

The  introductory  catechization  finished,  the  appli- 
cant confessed  his  faith  in  what  he  had  heard,  and  de- 
clared his  intention  to  pattern  his  life  upon  the  com- 
mandments received.  Then,  having  become  a  catechu- 
men and  received  recognition  as  a  Christian  through 
divers  liturgical  acts,  he  was  considered  in  that  status  a 
member  of  the  congregation.  For  the  present  no  fur- 
ther instruction  was  imparted.  For  his  introduction  into 
the  Christian  faith  and  life,  his  essential  need,  he  was 
made  to  depend  upon  the  divine  services  with  reading  of 


Catechumenate  in  Perfected  Form,  325 — 450  33 

Scripture  and  sermon  (missa  catechumenorum)  as  chief 
parts,  attendance  upon  which  was  his  privilege  and  duty, 
upon  Bible-reading,  and  the  instructive  and  disciplinary 
association  with  mature  Christians.  Works  like  those 
of  Commodian  (first  quarter  of  the  fourth  century), 
of  Sulpicius  Severus  (Chronica,  about  400),  of  Juvencus 
(Libri  evangeliorum,  about  330),  and  of  Sedulius  (Car- 
men Paschale,  about  400 — 450),  were  calculated  to  lead 
the  catechumen  deeper  into  the  processes  of  redemptive 
history  and  the  history  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  In 
view  of  their  obligation  of  being  present  at  the  divine 
services,  they  were  called  in  the  West  simply  "hearers" 
instead  of  catechumens.  The  congregation  would  re- 
member them  regularly  at  its  weekly  intercession  on  the 
Lord's  Day.  Throughout  this  time  instruction  in  true 
morality  was  kept  in  the  foreground. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  in  this  period  the  offense 
arose  on  the  part  of  many  to  remain  for  years  and 
decades  in  the  catechumen  stage,  not  to  become  compe- 
tents,  or  baptismal  candidates,  until  late — frequently  not 
till  age  had  come  or  death  was  approaching.  The  rea- 
son for  this  was  in  part  a  growing  lack  of  careful  dis- 
crimination at  the  reception  of  applicants  when,  for 
instance  after  325,  vast  throngs  streamed  into  the 
Church,  in  part  the  teaching  that  there  is  no  forgiveness 
for  certain  sins  after  baptism,  except  upon  the  arduous 
way  of  penitential  discipline  as  prescribed  by  the 
Church.  For  this  reason  many  earnest  souls,  in  order 
to  safeguard  their  salvation,  postponed  their  baptism. 
More  frequently  this  was  done  by  the  frivolous  who, 
prompted  by  the  most  superficial  reasons,  sought  cate- 
chumen rank  and  membership  in  the  Church,  insisting 
upon  living  in  sin  and  repudiating  penitential  discipline, 


34         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

while  yet  making  salvation  their  object.  In  baptism, 
administered  shortly  before  death,  they  saw  a  convenient 
and  safe  general  indulgence  for  a  preceding  life  in  sin. 
Faithful  preachers  would  strive  faithfully  against  such 
offense.  While  the  second  stage,  too,  became  so  pro- 
tracted that  many,  upon  entering  the  stage  of  compe- 
tents,  were  altogether  unknown  to  the  bishop  of  the 
congregation,  so  that  the  real  preparation  for  baptism 
did  not  begin  until  the  last-named  stage  had  been 
reached,  the  idea  of  the  successive  stages  was  neverthe- 
less retained. 

Whoever  of  the  catechumens,  sooner  or  later,  de- 
sired baptism,  had  to  announce  his  intention  and  name 
to  the  bishop  at  the  beginning  of  the  Lent  season;  and, 
if  his  past  life  did  not  present  any  obstacles,  he  was 
duly  matriculated.  As  baptismal  candidate  (<£am£o^evo<?, 
competens)  his  relation  to  the  congregation  had  become 
much  closer,  which,  in  turn,  devoted  itself  to  him  with 
particular  solicitude,  in  order  to  direct  his  thoughts  upon 
the  great  day  of  Baptism  and  to  prepare  him  inwardly 
for  it. 

A  threefold  influence  was  at  this  time  deemed  neces- 
sary to  bring  to  bear  upon  the  candidate  for  baptism : 
ascetic,  educational,  and  liturgical. 

Ascetic  influences — we  use  this  word  in  the  widest 
sense — already  in  earlier  times  had  been  made  to  pre- 
cede baptism.  Now,  however,  the  attempt  was  made 
to  augment  these,  perhaps  in  the  same  measure  as  the 
inward  preparation,  which  was  formerly  a  matter  of 
course,  was  lacking.  The  confession  of  sin,  which 
from  the  beginning  was  required  before  baptism,  was 
maintained ;  the  competent  period  was  even  stressed  as 
being  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  confession  of  sin,  although 


Catechumenate  in  Perfected  Form,  325—450  3$ 

the  enumeration  by  name  of  every  sin  was  not  insisted 
upon.  Fasting,  formerly  restricted  to  the  time  imme- 
diately preceding  baptism  was  now  extended  over  the 
whole  competent  period.  Candidates  for  baptism  were 
required  to  refrain  from  attendance  upon  theaters  and 
banquets;  married  people  were  forbidden  sexual  inter- 
course; daily  prayer  with  genuflection,  daily  reading  of 
Holy  Scripture,  and  the  exhibition  of  neighborly  love 
through  alms  were  other  features  of  the  period  in  ques- 
tion. The  seriousness  of  this  time  of  preparation  was 
shown  even  by  affecting  simplicity  of  dress. 

Concerning  the  instruction  imparted  to  competents 
by  the  bishop,  or,  at  his  behest,  by  the  presbyter,  we 
receive  the  best  information,  at  least  so  far  as  the  East 
is  concerned,  through  the  catechizations  of  Cyrillus  of 
Jerusalem,  inasmuch  as  these  are  nothing  else  but  the 
discourses  which,  as  presbyter  in  Jerusalem,  he  delivered 
before  the  candidates  for  baptism.  These  discourses 
may  well  be  considered  the  typical  catechetical  ser- 
mons of  antiquity.  According  to  them  the  center  of 
gravity  was  found  in  an  exhaustive  explanation  of  the 
apostolic  symbol,  thirteen  catechizations  out  of  eighteen 
serving  as  a  commentary  upon  it.  To  these  was  added 
an  explanation  of  the  character  and  effect  of  baptism 
(third  catechization).  However,  the  ethical  element 
was  by  no  means  absent,  finding  due  expression  in  a 
prescribed  preliminary  catechization  and,  likewise,  in  the 
first  and  the  second  catechization ;  nor  was  it  altogether 
forgotten  during  the  explanation  of  the  Symbol,  which 
bore  largely  a  dogmatical  and  apologetic  character. 
Also  the  two  discourses  for  photizomens  transmitted 
to  us  by  Chrysostom    aim  at  a  right  understanding  of 


36         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  character  and  effect  of  baptism  and  a  conversation 
consonant  with  the  Christian  faith. 

So  far  as  the  West  is  concerned,  we  have  in  Augus- 
tine the  best  witness  in  regard  to  the  instruction  of  com- 
petents,  whose  testimony  is  confirmed  and  complemented 
by  a  great  number  of  others.  According  to  him,  too, 
the  introduction  to  Christian  ethics  was  by  no  means 
restricted  to  a  minimum.  In  Sermon  216,  preached  by 
him  before  candidates  for  baptism  in  391,  when  he 
was  still  quite  a  young  presbyter,  he  charges  these : 
"Do  not  withdraw  your  hand  from  the  plow!  Away 
from  the  world  and  be  God's  own!"  A  compendium, 
upon  which  the  moral  instruction  could  be  based,  did  not 
exist.  Not  even  the  Ten  Commandments  were  so  used, 
although  the  knowledge  of  these  was  presupposed,  and 
Augustine  was  fond  of  adverting  to  them.  The  prac- 
tical needs  of  the  competents  suggested  the  choice  of  the 
ethical  subjects  at  the  time  being;  and  texts  were  se- 
lected accordingly,  whenever  the  discourses  were  based 
on  texts.  Particular  pains  were  taken  to  include  all 
precepts  concerning  conduct,  even  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, in  the  twin  command  of  love  as  the  sum  of  all 
true  morals.  At  the  same  time  it  must  be  conceded  that 
the  trend  of  the  times  was  toward  an  easier  approach 
to  baptism  and  a  restriction  of  moral  instruction,  yea, 
a  complete  elimination  of  it.  Moral  laxity  and  the 
practical  difficulty  of  controlling  the  masses  that 
streamed  into  the  Church,  worked  in  collusion,  for 
which  reason  many  deemed  instruction  in  matters  per- 
taining to  dogmatics  adequate  to  the  requirements  of 
competents  during  this  period,  reserving  moral  in- 
struction altogether  for  the  time  succeeding  baptism. 
Even  the  admission  of  adulterers  to  the  stage  of  com- 


Catechumenate  in  Perfected  Form,  325 — 450  37 

petents  and  to  baptism  was  defended,  the  belief  being 
entertained  that  only  idolaters  and  those  practicing  a 
dishonest  occupation  should  be  excluded  from  that  sac- 
rament. Augustine  indeed  in  413,  wrote  against  these  de- 
structive efforts  his  strong  book  "De  Fide  et  Operibus", 
at  the  same  time  clinging  to  moral  instruction  and  dis- 
cipline for  the  competents ;  however,  while  he  arrested 
the  movement,  he  was  unable  to  conquer  it. 

Also  Augustine  accorded  to  instruction  concerning 
the  Symbol  more  space  than  to  the  other  subjects.  This 
is  demonstrated  by  his  short  sermons  upon  the  Symbol 
(Sermon  213 — 215),  and  especially  by  the  tract  "De 
Symbolo  ad  Catechumenos"  (M  S  L  40,  627—636). 
While  the  former  were  delivered  on  the  occasion  when 
the  competents  received  the  Symbol  or  recited  it,  the 
latter,  consisting  of  exhaustive  comments  on  the  Sym- 
bol, were  designed  as  a  means  of  further  instruction. 
It  was  likewise  the  Symbol  of  which  the  learned  pres- 
byter Rufinus  of  Aquileja  gave  an  exposition  in  the 
first  years  of  the  fifth  century,  entitled  "Expositio  in 
symbolum  apostolorum",  and  published  for  the  purpose 
of  supplying  bishops  and  presbyters  with  an  adequate 
manual  for  the  instruction  of  competents.  Peter  Chry- 
sologus,  also,  the  indefatibable  bishop  of  Ravenna . 
(430 — 451),  a  city  which  at  that  time  was  rising  to 
great  political  importance,  gave  an  exposition  of  the 
Symbol,  as  is  evident  from  his  sermons,  preached  be- 
fore the  competents.  Maximus  of  Turin  testifies  to  the 
prevalence  of  the  same  usage  in  upper  Italy.  Likewise 
Nicetas,  a  missionary  bishop  operating  in  Dacia  (400 — 
410),  explained  the  Symbol  to  his  competents,  as  is  seen 
from  an  extant  address  of  his,  made  upon  the  occasion 
when  the  competents  recited  the  Symbol.     Africa  has 


38         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

been  surmised  to  be  the  origin  of  three  catechetical  ser- 
mons on  the  Symbol  by  an  unknown  author  ( ?  Vigilius 
of  Tapsus)  (August.  Serm.  237—239  MSL  39,  2183 
ff.).  They  are  usually  found  in  connection  with 
the  above  named  tract  of  Augustine  "De  symb.  ad 
catech.".  Our  conclusion  is  this :  Whatever  stress  was 
laid  upon  ethical  catechizations,  summarized  in  the  twin 
commandment  of  love  (cf.  in  addition  to  Augustine 
especially  Nicetas),  the  Symbol  was  the  article  that  put 
all  others  in  the  shade, — the  real  "verbum  abbreviatum". 
Such  usage  was  in  perfect  agreement  with  the  view  of 
the  old  Church,  that  every  subject  of  faith  and  doctrine 
is  summarized  in  the  Symbol. 

At  some  places  in  the  West  the  Lord's  Prayer  also 
was  an  integral  part  of  the  instruction  imparted  to  com- 
petents.  In  Africa,  for  instance,  Augustine  not  only 
delivered  it  to  the  candidates  for  baptism  within  the 
"quadragesima"  (on  the  Saturday  before  Judica)  for 
the  purpose  of  having  them  commit  it  to  memory,  so 
that  it  might  be  prayed  with  them  after  Baptism  in  con 
nection  with  the  celebration  of  Holy  Communion  imme- 
diately afterward;  but  he  also  gave  them  a  concise  ex- 
planation of  it,  so  that  we  find  brief  catechizations  on  the 
Lord's  Prayer  corresponding  with  the  brief  catechiza- 
tions on  the  Symbol.  This  was  also  the  practice  of  Peter 
Chrystologos  in  Ravenna,  as  demonstrated  by  such  dis- 
courses of  his  upon  the  Lord's  Prayer  as  are  extant. 

The  most  important  characteristic  of  this  period, 
however,  was  a  feature  adapted  from  paganism,  arcane 
discipline,  and,  in  connection  therewith,  an  influence 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  competents  by  liturgical 
agency.  In  the  second  and  third  centuries,  when  the 
satisfaction  received  by  the  souls  of  men  from  the  con- 


Catechumenate  in  Perfected  Form,  325 — 450  39 

ventional  cults  was  constantly  lessening,  either  the  old 
mysteries,  particularly  the  Eleusinian  ones,  once  more 
began  to  flower;  or  others,  altogether  new,  for  instance 
the  orphic  mysteries  and,  to  a  still  higher  degree,  those 
of  Mithra,  were  introduced  into  the  Graeco-Roman 
world.  Indescribably  great  was  the  number  of  those 
who,  in  this  way,  endeavored  to  find  atonement,  salva- 
tion, and  immortality.  In  proportion  as  the  pagan  con- 
ception was  maintained  that  the  vision  of  Deity,  atone- 
ment, and  immortality  were  gradually  to  be  achieved  by 
means  of  those  mysteries,  with  their  characteristic  bap- 
tisms, processions,  and  symbols  of  every  kind,  and  with 
formulas  and  customs  kept  from  the  ken  of  the  uniniti- 
ated, converts  from  the  ranks  of  cultured  paganism  were 
inclined  to  confront  that  conception  with  the  assertion, 
"We  possess  the  true  mysteries,  Baptism  and  Commu- 
nion ;  alone  through  these  one  achieves  fellowship  with 
God".  This  is  the  explanation  of  the  effort  to  make 
secrets  of  Baptism  and  Communion,  and  to  make  a  rich 
symbolism  and  liturgy  preparatory  stages  for  their  re- 
ception. It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  the  Church  suc- 
cumbed to  this  temptation.  The  assumption  of  the  fun- 
damental forms  of  these  mysteries  led  to  the  introduction 
of  arcane  discipline.  While,  in  this  way,  the  trend  of  the 
times  was  met,  so  was  also  the  hierarchic  desire  that,  at 
the  turn  of  the  third  and  fourth  centuries,  had  ominous- 
ly begun  to  stir.  The  introduction  of  arcane  discipline 
appeared  to  the  latter  an  appropriate  means  of  grati- 
fication ;  for  it  meant  that,  as  in  the  mysteries  of  pagan- 
ism, everything  turned  upon  the  mystic-theurgic  per- 
formances of  the  priest,  which  could  not  but  lead  to  the 
conviction  that,  without  a  priesthood,  there  is  no  way  to 
God.     At  the  beginning  of  our  period  such  adaptation 


40         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

was  -an  accomplished  fact.  From  now  on  Baptism  and 
Communion  pass  by  the  name  of  fxvarrjpia,  the  preparation 
for  them  by  the  name  of  nvrjais,  while  the  bishop  per- 
forming the  baptismal  rite  is  called  juvo-raywyds,  and  its 
recipients  are  called  fxejULvrj/xevoi  or  hro-mai.  Just  as  in  the 
Eleusinian  mysteries  the  climax,  the  opening  of  the 
temple,  was  reached  at  night,  so  here  Baptism  was  per- 
formed likewise  at  night,  preferably  in  that  of  the 
Passah.  As  a  series  of  holy  acts  was  performed  there 
before  the  privilege  of  beholding  the  deity  was  granted, 
so  also  here,  before  steps  were  taken  to  baptism  proper. 
As  mysteries,  Baptism  and  Communion  had  to  be  kept 
secret,  a  proceeding  which,  gradually,  also  applies  to 
the  preparatory  acts,  particularly  to  the  Symbol  in  con- 
nection with  Baptism,  and  to  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  con- 
nection with  Communion.  This  is  the  explanation  of  the 
fact  that  the  Symbol,  although  its  constituent  parts  had 
been  the  basis  of  successive  discourses  delivered  to  the 
competents,  was  communicated  in  its  integrity  as  a 
final  solemn  act;  and  that  the  Lord's  Prayer  was  not 
communicated   until   immediately   before    Baptism. 

When  the  original  liturgical  acts  had  been  aug- 
mented by  those  pertaining  to  arcane  discipline,  the 
following  order  resulted:  Upon  the  applicant  having, 
in  general  terms,  given  expression  to  his  faith  and  his 
readiness  to  conform  to  the  precepts  of  the  Church, 
he  received  the  "signatio  crucis"  upon  his  forehead,  the 
laying  on  of  hands,  and  (however,  only  in  the  West), 
the  exorcized  and  consecrated  salt.  Therewith  the 
"Christianum  facere"  and  the  "catechumenum  facere" 
had  become  a  completed  process,  the  "datio  salis"  parti- 
cularly being  accounted  in  the  West  the  "sacramentum 


Catechumenate  in  Perfected  Form,  325— 450  41 

catechumenorum".    The  transition  from  the  catechume- 
nate to  the  photizomenate  was  signalled  by  the  inscrip- 
tion,  through   the  bishop   or  presbyter,   of   the  names, 
which   in  some  instances  had  just  been  bestowed,  in  the 
rosters  of  the  Church  (nomen  dare).    This  was  followed 
by  exorcism,  or  the  expulsion  of  the  evil  spirit,  effected 
by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  afflation,  and  adjuration- 
acts  based  upon  the  view  that  heathens,  like  those  pos- 
sessed, were  in  a  physical  as  well  as  moral  and  spiritual 
sense  in  the  power  of  Satan.     When  exorcism  was  ad- 
ministered, the  reception  of  the  competents  had  thereby 
taken  place,  upon  the  supposition  that  the  deliverance  of 
their  souls  from  the  power  and  dominion  of  Satan  had 
begun  with  their  preparation  for  baptism.     In  the  West 
another  act  was  joined  to  the  foregoing  ones,  namely, 
"apertio  aurium"   (Mark  7,  33).     This  consisted  in  the 
bishop's  touching  eyes  and  nose  (instead  of  the  mouth), 
on  occasion  rubbing  them  with  exorcized  oil  and  say- 
ing, "Hephata!"    The  significance  of  this  ceremony  was 
that,  henceforth,  they  were  able  to  understand  the  words 
of  the  Gospel,  and  to  receive  the  good  savor  of  Jesus 
Christ.    Further  light  is  thrown  upon  the  practise  by  the 
custom,  prevalent  here  and  there,  of  combining  there- 
with the  "traditio"  or  "expositio  evangeliorum".     This 
consisted  in  an  introductory  talk  upon  the  meaning  of 
the  term  Gospel,  upon  the  four  evangelists  and  the  sym- 
bolic figures  assigned  to  them  (homo,  leo,  vitulus,  aquila; 
cf.    Ez.    1,    10),    whereupon    the    first   passages    of   the 
four  Gospels  were  successively  read.     On  the  part  of 
the   competents,   the   act   of   renunciation   corresponded 
with    that    of   exorcism    on    the   part   of   the   officiating 
priest.      The    further   progress    of   baptismal    discipline 


42         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

was  characterized  throughout  the  period  of  its  duration 
by  successive  "scrutinies",  i.  e.,  religious  meetings  at 
which  a  number  of  liturgical  acts  were  performed  upon 
the  competents ;  for  instance,  the  making  of  the  sign  of 
the  cross,  the  laying  on  of  hands,  exorcisms,  etc., — acts 
whereby  victorious  progress  in  the  conflict  with  the  evil 
one  was  supposed  to  be  made.  The  climax  was  reached 
with  the  solemn  delivery  of  the  Symbol  (traditio  sym- 
boli), which  was  treated  as  a  secret  formula,  possibly. 
even  miraculous  power  being  ascribed  to  it.  The  delivery 
of  the  Symbol  took  place  in  connection  with  a  divine  ser- 
vice, a  sermon  on  the  Symbol  usually  leading  up  to  the 
specific  act  (cf.  August.  Serm.  212 — 214).  In  Africa  this 
was  done  on  the  Saturday  before  Laetare,  at  other  places 
usually  on  Palm  Sunday.  With  the  "traditio  symboli" 
corresponded  on  the  part  of  the  competents  the  'red- 
ditio  symboli",  i.  e.,  the  recitation  of  the  Symbol  by  the 
competents,  usually  one  week  afterward  (Saturday  be- 
fore Judica,  Saturday  before  Easter,  Maundy  Thursday, 
Palm  Sunday  in  Jerusalem).  The  recitation  of  the 
Symbol,  accounted  as  an  important  act  of  confession, 
commonly  took  place  before  the  assembled  congrega- 
tion. To  the  "traditio  symboli"  was  joined  the  "traditio 
orationis  dominicae",  likewise  for  the  purpose  of  being 
memorized  by  the  competents,  that  they  might  be  able 
to  pray  it  with  the  congregation  between  the  act  of 
Baptism  and  that  of  Communion.  In  Rome  two  scru- 
tinies were  conducted  on  Good  Friday,  and  one,  the 
final  one,  on  the  Saturday  of  holy  week.  Then  the  can- 
didate was  ready  for  Baptism. 

Upon  us,  the  whole  proceeding  makes  a  strange- im- 
pression. Instead  of  being  contented  with  the  means  of 
grace  instituted  by  the  Lord,  recourse  was  taken  to  all 


Catechumenate  in  Its  Decay,  450—600..  43 

sorts  of  human  contrivance,  which  were  deemed  by 
many  of  more  importance  than  indoctrination.  So  much 
is  certain  that  the  hierarchy  found  this  mummery  pro- 
fitable: for  the  performance  of  these  purifying  and 
grace-laden  acts  was  possible  only  through  the  services 
of  the  higher  and  lower  clergy ;  and  only  through  them 
as  connecting  link  access  could  be  found  to  the  sacra- 
ments proper  and,  therewith,  to  fellowship  with  God. 

8.    The  Catechumenate  in  Its  Decay  (About  450 — 600). 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  I,  ch.  9.— J.  H.  Holtzmann,  pp.  86  ff.— 
F.  Wiegand,  pp.  181  ff.— F.  Probst,  Katechese  und  Predigt  vom 
Anfang  des  4.  bis  zum  Ende  des  6.  Jahrhunderts,  1884. — Wil- 
son, The  Gelasian  Sacramentary  (MSL  74),  1894. 

The  catechumenate  of  the  Old  Church  received  its 
first  blow  when  the  heathen  in  large  masses  crowded 
to  the  baptismal  font.  But,  as  long  as  the  Church  in- 
sisted upon  a  thorough  examination  of  the  candidates* 
for  baptism,  upon  a  catechumenate  of  sufficient 
length,  and,  especially,  upon  thorough  instruction  during 
the  competent  period,  a  considerable  measure  of  Chris- 
tian knowldege  could  be  imparted,  and  a  reasonably 
thorough  training  for  moral  life  accomplished.  Now, 
however,  just  these  stays  fell  to  the  ground.  The  pre- 
paratory catechetical  discourse  was  discarded,  probably 
still  in  the  5th  century;  the  time  of  the  catechumenate 
was  dangerously  shortened.  Thus,  in  506  the  Synod  of 
Agde  declared  that  Jewish  converts,  who  often  so  read- 
ily left  the  Church,  must  remain  in  the  catechumenate 
for  8  months.  Hence  the  customary  time  for  prepara- 
tion was  still  briefer.  This,  however,  was  not  all.  At 
the  Council  of  Bracara  in  610  even  the  time  for  the  in- 
struction of  competents  was  cut  down  to  20  days,  and 


44  The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

religious  instruction  itself,  in  most  cases,  was  over- 
shadowed by  the  constantly  increasing  emphasis  placed 
upon  the  scrutinies.  Finally  nothing  remained  but  the 
memorization  of  certain  formulas.  While  that  which 
at  one  time  had  been  cultivated  by  the  Church  with  the 
greatest  care,  and  cherished  as  a  condition  for  her  ex- 
istence, now  fell  to  the  ground,  that  which  was  foreign 
to  the  Church  in  the  past,  that,  which  had  been  adopted 
from  heathenism,  namely,  ceremonies  and  formulas, 
which  were  thought  to  possess  magic  power,  remained. 
For  this  reason  very  few  catechetical  writings  were  pro- 
duced during  this  period,  while  a  large  number  of  litur- 
gies and  sacramentaries,  containing  the  scrutinies,  have 
come  down  to  us.  The  scrutinies  became  the  grave  of 
the  old  catechumenate.  This  would  have  been  less  dan- 
gerous as  long  as  the  Church  did  her  work  in  the  midst 
of  the  old  Roman  Empire,  for  here  the  number  of  the 
unbaptized  adults  was  constantly  decreasing.  But  it 
worked  destructively,  since  during  the  migration  of  na- 
tions new  heathen  nations  streamed  into  the  boundaries 
of  the  Church,  who  needed  thorough  education  and  train- 
ing, and  since  also  those  who  were  baptized  in  infancy, 
were  not  provided  with  regular  and  sufficient  instruction. 
The  Church,  spiritually  enervated,  and  entirely  swayed 
by  hierarchic  thought,  with  its  emphasis  upon  mystic- 
theurgic  acts,  while  still  able,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
state,  outwardly  to  subdue  these  nations,  could  no  longer 
renew  them  inwardly. 

9.     The  Conclusion  of  the  Catechumenate  of  the  Old 

Church  in  Baptism  and  the  Subsequent  Care  of 

the  Baptized. 

J.  W.  Hoefling,  Das  Sakrament  der  Taufe,  vol.  I.  1859,  pp. 
277— 550.— G.  v.  Zezschwitz  I,  ch.  9.— E.  Sachsse,  pp.  74—92.— 


Conclusion  of  the  Catechumenate  45 

F.  Wiegand,  pp.  217  ff.—  G.  Rietschel,  Lehrbuch  d.  Lithurgik  J, 
pp.  13— 58.— P.  Drews,  Taufe  (Liturgischer  Vollzug),  1907  (RE). 
— Compare  literature  chapters  7  and  8. 

The  goal  of  instruction  in  the  Old  Church  period 
was  baptism,  which  also  formed  its  conclusion.  The 
time  deemed  most  suitable  for  baptism,  as  early  as 
the  second  century  (for  instance,  in  194  in  Rome),  was 
Easter,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  candidates  for  bap- 
tism were  to  be  buried  with  Christ  and  to  rise  with  Him. 
However,  Tertullian  mentions,  in  connection  with  Eas- 
ter, also  Pentecost,  admitting  that,  in  itself,  every  day  is 
suitable  for  baptism,  a  view  which  was  shared,  at  least 
so  far  as  the  baptism  of  infants  is  concerned,  by  the 
synod  of  Carthage  in  256.  In  the  fourth  century  not 
only  the  joint  baptism  of  competents  at  Easter  became 
customary;  but,  save  when  death  appeared  imminent, 
baptism  in  general  was  restricted  to  fixed  seasons.  The 
Apostolic  Constitutions,  Basil,  Chrysostom,  require 
Easter  for  the  purpose  in  question,  namely,  the  night 
between  Easter  eve  and-  Easter  morn.  The  coincidence 
of  solemnities — that  of  the  Lenten  season  just  passed, 
that  of  the  final  instruction  just  received,  that  of  the 
baptismal  vow  about  to  be  made,  formed  a  powerful 
motive.  However,  alongside  of  Easter,  Pentecost  re- 
tained its  baptismal  celebration ;  at  some  places  the  Epi- 
phany festival  or,  even,  the  newly  instituted  festival  of 
Christmas  (celebrated  in  Rome  on  the  twenty-fifth  of 
December  by  354,  in  Constantinople  by  379,  in  Antioch 
by  388)  were  permitted  as  baptismal  days.  When  the 
baptism  of  adults  ceased,  Easter  lost  as  a  result  its 
chief  solemnity,  except  where  the  children  born  during 
the  year  had  remained  unbaptized. 

While,  in  earlier  times,  every  place  was  thought 
suitable  for  baptism — Tertullian  says  that  it  does  not 


46         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

matter  whether  baptism  is  administered  in  the  sea,  in 
a  pond,  in  a  river,  in  a  fountain,  or  in  a  basin — the  shift- 
ing of  baptism  to  the  night  rendered  special  baptisteries 
necessary,  which  were  added  to  the  church  structure  or 
built  in  its  vicinity.  While,  according  to  mode,  baptism 
was  performed  through  immersion,  this  was  by  no 
means  the  exclusive  mode.  It  is  not  likely  that  the 
three  thousand  of  Pentecost  were  baptized  by  immer- 
sion. The  passage  in  the  Didache  pertaining  to  this 
period  (page  21)  permits  another  choice  not  only  for 
the  sick  but  for  all  cases  in  which  there  was  not  enough 
water  for  immersion.  Tertullian  permits  baptism  to  be 
performed  in  a  fountain.  In  the  cemetery  of  Kallistus 
in  Rome  there  are  two  pictures  of  the  baptismal  act, 
both  representing  the  candidate  for  baptism  as  stand- 
ing naked  in  the  water  up  to  the  ankles,  while  the  per- 
son performing  baptism,  according  to  the  one,  is  pour- 
ing water  over  his  head  and,  according  to  the  other, 
over  his  head  and  body. 

While,  in  the  beginning,  the  baptismal  act  was 
bare  of  ceremony,  a  definite  baptismal  rite  was  devel- 
oped later.  As  early  as  the  fourth  century  the  follow- 
ing method  was  of  general  observance:  The  last  scru- 
tiny having  been  performed  on  the  great  sabbath,  the 
baptismal  act  began  about  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. A  procession  to  the  church  was  formed ;  here 
took  place  the  consecration  of  the  candles,  the  symbol 
of  the  cfxjiTurfio^ ;  prayers  and  Scripture  lessons  were 
read,  the  last  of  which  was  frequently  the  forty-second 
psalm.  Then  the  procession  to  the  baptistery  followed. 
If,  in  the  meantime,  night  had  fallen,  the  city 
was  not  seldom  illuminated.  The  baptismal  act  proper 
was  introduced  by  several  liturgic  acts,  of  which  Cyril 
of  Jerusalem  gives  the  clearest  account.    The  candidates 


Conclusion  of  the  Catechumenate  47 

for  baptism,  accordingly,  would  enter  the  vestibule  of 
the  baptismal  chapel,  where  they  would  take  their  posi- 
tin  on  the  West  side.  Stretching  out  their  hands,  they 
would  renounce  Satan  together  with  his  works,  his 
pomp,  and  his  whole  service  (abrogatio  diaboli,  d-n-oTay^ 
rov  ^aravov).  Upon  shifting  their  position  from  the 
West  to  the  East  side,  they  would  say,  one  by  one,  "I 
believe  in  the  Father,  and  in  the  Son,  and  in  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  in  the  one  baptism  of  repentance  (crwrayr/ 
tov  XpicrTov)".  In  view  of  the  fact  that  this  act  was  per- 
formed in  the  West  in  the  form  of  questions,  it  was  there 
called  "interrogatio  de  fide".  After  proceeding  from  the 
vestibule  into  the  interior  of  the  baptismal  chapel,  the 
sexes  were  separated,  whereupon  the  candidates  for  bap- 
tism divested  themselves  of  their  garments  in  order  to 
be  anointed  with  sacred  oil  from  head  to  heel  (only  upon 
certain  parts  of  the  body  in  the  West),  a  process  to 
which  heavenly  powers  were  imputed.  Then  came  the 
consecration  of  the  baptismal  water  through  invocation 
of  God  and  the  making  of  the  sign  of  the  cross,  which, 
in  turn,  was  followed  by  the  baptismal  act  proper.  The 
candidates  for  baptism,  after  descending  into  the  water, 
were  thrice  immersed  (in  Spain  but  once,  as  a  symbol 
of  the  essential  unity  of  the  three  persons  of  the  Trin- 
ity and  a  testimony  against  the  Arians),  confession 
being  made  meanwhile  of  the  triune  God.  Occasionally 
the  several  articles  of  the  creed  were  recited,  the  candi- 
date for  baptism  replying  after  each,  "I  believe",  where- 
upon his  immersion  took  place.  The  officiating  person 
concluded  with  the  supplication :  "God  the  almighty 
Father,  who  has  regenerated  thee  of  water  and  Spirit, 
and  forgiven  thee  all  thy  sins,  anoint  thee  unto  life 
eternal".     Therewith  forgiveness  of  sins  had  been  im- 


48         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

parted  to  the  candidates  for  baptism,  and  they  had  been 
received  as  children  of  God. 

Once  more  three  liturgical  acts  were  joined  to  bap- 
tism :  another  anointing,  the  making  of  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  and  the  imposition  of  hands,  of  which  the  last  was 
accounted  as  the  most  important.  Already  in  the  times 
of  Jerome  it  was  reserved  in  the  West  for  the  bishop, 
who  would  frequently  perform  it  in  a  special  room,  the 
consignatory.  Since  the  impartation  of  the  Spirit  (Acts 
8  and  19)  and  of  His  gifts  (Is.  11,  2)  was  imputed  to 
such  anointing  and  imposition  of  hands  (beginning  of 
"confirmation"),  these  supplementary  acts  were  soon  ac- 
counted as  of  greater  importance  than  baptism  itself. 
After  baptism  the  candidates  were  arrayed  in  white  gar- 
ments as  symbol  of  purity  and  innocence;  at  times 
there  was  given  them,  as  concluding  act,  a  mixture  of 
milk  and  honey, — a  sign  that  they  had  at  length  arrived 
in  the  Church,  the  true  Canaan.  The  climax  of  all  acts 
was  the  first  celebration  of  Holy  Communion.  Having 
now  become  believing  and  full  members  of  the  congre- 
gation, they  were  privileged  to  take  part  at  Easter  in 
the  "missa  fidelium",  to  speak  with  the  whole  congrega- 
tion for  the  first  time  the  prayer  of  the  children  of  God, 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  and,  with  them,  to  approach  the 
Lord's  Table. 

After  Baptism  a  supplementary  training  was  im- 
parted to  the  recipients  of  the  sacrament  in  the  form  of 
further  instruction.  So  far  as  the  East  is  concerned,  the 
evidence  of  this  is  found  in  the  mystagogic  catechiza- 
tions  of  Cyril  of  Jerusalem,  which  he  addressed  to  the 
newly  baptized  in  the  week  after  Easter.  Therewith  he 
introduced  them  into  the  meaning  of  the  ceremonies 
connected  with  Baptism  (Cat.  1 — 3),  the  character  and 


Conclusion  of  the  Catechumenate  49 

meaning  of  Baptism  itself  having  been  dealt  with  dur- 
ing the  competent  period.  Likewise  the  character  and 
blessing  of  the  Holy  Supper,  for  the  first  time  received 
by  the  neophyte  (Cat.  4),  and  the  meaning  of  the  litur- 
gical elaboration  of  the  sacramental  festivity  (Cat.  4) 
were  exhaustively  dealt  with.  Inasmuch  as  the  Lord's 
Prayer  was  a  part  of  the  latter,  in  Jerusalem  being  re- 
cited by  the  whole  congregation  with  a  loud  voice  im- 
mediately before  approaching  the  altar,  Cyril  incor- 
porated in  this  last  catechization  also  an  exposition  of 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  an  addition  required  by  the  absence 
of  such  exposition  from  the  instruction  imparted  by 
him  to  the  competents.  In  the  West  also  the  supple- 
mentary training  included  instruction  in  regard  to  the 
sacrament ;  and  wherever  the  sacrament  had  not  been 
explained  before,  the  needed  explanation  was  likewise 
given  the  week  after  Easter.  From  the  Sermons  of 
Augustine  it  is  clear  that  the  effort  was  made  in  these 
days  once  more  to  arouse  the  firm  resolution  in  those 
baptized,  as  regenerate  (renovati,  infantes),  henceforth 
to  lead  a  new  life,  although  it  cannot  be  maintained  that 
the  Decalogue  was  used  as  a  manual  for  this  purpose. 
During  this  week  the  newly  baptized  were  accorded  spe- 
cial attention  also  in  the  divine  services.  They  were 
allowed  to  appear  in  their  white  baptismal  vestments, 
which  they  had  to  take  off  again  on  the  Saturday  or 
Sunday  after  Easter,  which,  in  consequence,  has  been 
designated  by  two  names — "Dominica  post  albas"  and 
"Dominica  in  albis"  (the  latter  perhaps  an  abbreviation 
for  in  albis  depositis?).  While  the  newly  baptized  were 
held  to  refrain  from  attendance  upon  banquets  and 
other  amusements,  no  fasting  was  required  of  them, 
since  there  had  now  come  for  them  a  time  of  joy. 


50         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

10.     Infant  Baptism  and  the   Christian  Instruction  of 
the   Young   in   the   Old    Church. 

Hoefling  1,  pp.  98 — 126. — G.  v.  Zezschwitz  I.  chaps.  13  and 
19.— E.  Sachsse,  pp.  92— 101.— F.  Wiegand,  pp.  217— 238.— Moel- 
ler-Schubert,  Lehrbuch  der  Kirchengeschichte  I2,  1902,  pp.  806 
ff. — G.  Thomasius,  Dogmengeschichte  I2,  pp.  547  ff. — A.  Har- 
nack,  Lehrbuch  d.  Dogmengesch.  I4,  pp.  472  ff.— G.  Rietschel. 
Liturgik  II,  pp.  6 — 8. — P.  Drews,  Taufe  (Kindertaufe;  Patenin- 
stitute, p.  446),  (RE),  1907.— J.  Steinbeck,  Lehrbuch  d.  kirchl. 
Jugenderziehung,  1914,  pp.  8 — 9. — S.  S.  Laurie,  Pre-Christian 
Education,  1900. — G.  Rauschen,  Das  griechisch-roemische  Schul- 
wesen, 1901. — J.  Brunner,  Der  heilige  Hieronymus  und  die 
Maedchenerziehung,  1910. — A.  Harnack,  Ueber  den  privaten 
Gebrauch  der  heiligen  Schriften  i.  d.  Alten  Kirche,  1912. — • 
M.  Reu,  Der  kirchl.  Jugendunterricht  i.  d.  Alten  Kirche,  1913 
(Kirchl.  Zeitschrift). — Cypriani  Epistolae,  CSEL3,  II,  English 
in  ANF.  vol.  5;  German  by  J.  Niglutsch  u.  A.  Egger,  1879 
(KB1)  ;  Letter  to  Fidus,  pp.  328  ff.— Basilii  opera  MSG  29—32; 
regulae  vol.  31.  Selected  Writings,  English  in  NPNF2,  vol.  7; 
German  by  V.  Groene,  1877  (KB1) ;  55  regulae,  pp.  37—161,  in 
the  fifteenth  of  which  pp.  85 — 89  we  find  4  chapters  on  recep- 
tion and  education  of  children  in  cloisters;  compare  regula 
53. — Sancti  Ioannis  Chrysostomi  de  educandis  liberis  liber 
aureus,  ed.  by  F.  Combesis,  1656;  English:  The  golden  Book  of 
St.  John  Chrysostome,  concerning  the  education  of  children, 
translated  by  John  Evelyn,  1658  (reprinted  in :  The  Miscella- 
neous Writings  of  John  Evelyn,  1825) ;  German :  Ueber  Hof- 
fart  und  Kindererziehung,  samt  einer  Blumenlese  ueber  Ju- 
genderziehung aus  des  Chrys.  Schriften,  ed.  by  S.  Haidacher, 
1907. 

However,  what  was  the  status  of  infant  baptism 
and  of  the  instruction  of  children  in  the  Old  Church? 
That  infants  stand  in  need  of  baptism,  the  New  Testa- 
ment declares  with  sufficient  clearness  in  what  it  teaches 
concerning  original  sin  and  hereditary  guilt  (John  3, 
6;  Rom.  5,  12.  18.  19;  Eph.  2,  3)  ;  and,  wrhen  examined  in 
regard  to  the  context,  1  Cor.  7,  14  confirms  rather  than 


Infant  Baptism  and  Instruction  of  the  Young  51 

negatives  the  doctrine  contained  in  above  passages. 
That  infants  may  be  baptized  and  receive  the  blessing 
of  Christ,  is  witnessed  by  Lk.  1,  15;  by  the  action  of 
Christ  and  the  basal  directions  given  by  Him  to  the  dis- 
ciples, Matth.  19,  14;  finally,  by  the  universality  of  the 
divine  redemptive  will  (1  Tim.  2,  4;  Matth.  28,  19).  Whe- 
ther the  duty  of  infant  baptism  thus  implied  was  gener- 
ally recognized  and  fulfilled,  is  quite  another  question. 
That  grown-up  children  were  baptized,  appears  to  be 
proved  by  Eph.  6,  1,  where  the  children  addressed  by  the 
apostle  are  treated  as  members  of  the  congregation  as 
well  as  the  women,  men,  and  slaves.  The  baptism  of  in- 
fants is  nowhere  expressly  mentioned;  but  passages  like 
Acts  16,  15.  33;  1.  Cor.  1,  16  and  the  significant  type  of 
Jewish  circumcision  lead  to  the  assumption  that  infant 
baptism  was  actually  in  vogue.  The  lack  of  an  express 
testimony  in  the  premises  may  be  explained  by  the  fact 
that,  in  the  missionary  period  of  the  Church,  as  today  in 
the  mission  field,  interest,  was  concentrated  upon  the 
winning  of  adults,  infant  baptism  being  practicable  only 
where  the  home  was  Christian,  thus  affording  a  guar- 
anty of  subsequent  indoctrination.  The  actual,  though 
not  general,  practise  of  infant  baptism  is  borne  out  by 
the  further  fact  that  the  first  unambiguous  witnesses  in 
its  behalf  do  not  speak  of  it  as  something  of  recent 
adoption,  but  as  something  prevalent  and  familiar. 
Irenaeus  says  in  his  "Books  against  Heresies"  (contem- 
porary with  Commodus ;  180 — 192)  II,  22:  "Christ  came 
to  save  all  through  Himself, — all,  I  say  who  are  regener- 
ated by  God :  sucklings  and  children  and  boys  and  young 
men  and  old  people".  According  to  Irenaeus' 
usage  (Adv.  Haer.  Ill  17,  1)  the  word  regeneration  re- 
fers to  baptism.    Likewise  Tertullian,  when  he  (De  bapt. 


52         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

18)  warns  against  a  premature  baptism  of  children,  uses 
language  justifying  the  inference  that,  as  early  as  then, 
Matth.  19,  14  was  appealed  to  as  justification  for  infant 
baptism.  Likewise  Origen,  when  (In  Rom.  V,  9)  he 
clearly  contends :  Ecclesia  ab  apostolis  traditionem  sus- 
cepit  etiam  parvulis  baptismum  dare,  and  finds  a  warrant 
for  infant  baptism  (In  Luc.  evang.  horn.  15;  In  Levit. 
horn.  8)  in  the  fact  of  the  pollution  of  infants  from  birth. 
At  the  Synod  of  Carthage  the  question  was  not  whether 
infants  should  be  baptized  at  all,  but  whether  they  were 
to  be  baptized  before  the  eighth  day.  Cyprian's  letter  to 
Fidus  the  bishop  makes  the  impression  that  indecision 
in  the  premises  was  an  occasion  for  surprise.  In  the 
Apostolic  Constitutions  (VI,  15)  the  injunction  is  given: 
"However,  baptize  your  children  (vrj-n-ta)  also,  and  bring 
them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord!" 
In  VIII,  11.  13,  the  communion  of  small  children  is 
mentioned,  as  also  earlier  by  Cyprian,  a  fact  which  pos- 
tulates their  baptism.  When  from  the  fact  that  the  bap- 
tism of  infants  had  become  in  this  period  a  matter  re- 
quiring exhortation,  and  the  other  fact  that,  in  the 
fourth  century,  even  pious  parents  refrained  from  hav- 
ing their  infants  baptized,  the  conclusion  has  been  drawn 
that  the  recognition  of  the  duty  of  infant  baptism  had 
not  yet  become  a  matter  of  general  knowledge,  we 
would  suggest  a  better  explanation.  The  cause  of  such 
failure  to  have  infants  baptized  was  rather  dread  of 
forfeiting  by  subsequent  sin  the  blessings  secured 
through  infant  baptism,  and  hesitation  to  assume  the 
obligations  in  connection  therewith  (Cf.  especially  Ter- 
tullian  De  bapt.  18  and  Apost.  Constit.  VI,  15).  The 
same  Gregory  Nazianzen,  whose  baptism  in  youth  was 
prevented  by  his  parents,  demands  that  children,  espe- 


Infant  Baptism  and  Instruction  of  the  Young  53 

daily  when  danger  threatens,  shall  be  baptized  forth- 
with, recommending,  in  the  absence  of  such  necessity, 
the  third  year  as  an  appropriate  time  (Discourse  on 
baptism  17,  28).  Augustine  speaks  of  the  countless 
number  of  baptized  infants,  and  Leo  the  Great,  in  an 
Easter  sermon,  refers  to  the  fact  that  thousands  of 
children  are  snatched  from  Satan  through  baptism  at 
that  festival.  Gregory  the  Great  imposes  triennial  pen- 
ance upon  parents  who  have  permitted  a  child  three 
years  old  to  die  without  baptism.  Usually  the  baptism 
of  infants  was  performed  on  the  dates  fixed  for  that  of 
adults. 

That  the  same  form  was  used  for  the  baptism  of  in- 
fants as  for  that  of  adults  is  an  occasion  for  regret. 
The  whole  series  of  liturgical  ceremonies  was  performed 
upon  the  children,  the  responses,  particularly  in  con- 
nection with  the  acts  of  renunciation  and  confession, 
being  given  by  the  sponsors.  This  much  may  at  least  be 
supposed  from  references  to  the  subject  by  Tertullian 
(De  bapt.  18).  That  is  the  reason  that  an  act  of  renun- 
ciation was  insisted  upon  even  in  the  case  of  infants  born 
of  Christian  parents,  notwithstanding  that  this  act  for- 
merly presupposed  idolatry.  Not  even  the  form  of  the 
interrogatory  was  changed.  Just  as  in  the  case  of 
adults,  the  question  was,  Do  you  believe?  Do  you  re- 
nounce? Yet,  Augustine  already  stated  that  such  bap- 
tismal questions  could  no  longer  be  understood  in  their 
proper  sense,  but  only  in  a  future  sense,  inasmuch  as  the 
children  did  not  believe  as  yet,  but  were  merely  called 
to  faith  through  the  sacrament :  that  they  were  to  be- 
come believers,  was  a  consequence  of  the  spiritual  fel- 
lowship between  the  children  and  the  sponsors  or, 
rather,  the  Church ;  the  Communion  of  Saints,  not  the 


54         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

sponsors,  being  the  bearer  of  the  child  to  the  baptismal 
sacrament.  In  the  period  when  the  scrutinies  had  tran- 
scended, and  all  but  superseded,  everything  else,  the 
congregation  was  asked  on  Monday  after  Oculi  to  an- 
nounce the  children  that  were  to  be  baptized  on  the  occa- 
sion of  the  coming  Easter  festival.  On  the  Wednesday 
previous  the  sponsors  would  appear  with  their  wards 
in  front  of  the  church.  The  names  of  those  to  be  bap- 
tized were  entered  in  the  register.  Thereupon  the  doors 
were  opened,  and  the  sponsors  with  their  wards  were 
placed  inside  in  rows,  on  the  right  side  the  boys,  on  the 
left  the  girls.  Five  acts  performed  upon  all  candidates 
for  baptism  (the  sign  of  the  cross,  the  imposition  of 
hands,  exorcism,  presentation  of  salt,  prayer),  made 
them  catechumens.  Seven  further  ceremonies,  namely, 
scrutinies  for  attendance  upon  which  the  children  were 
taken  to  church,  and  among  which  the  opening  of  the 
ears,  connected  with  the  delivery  of  the  Symbol  and 
the  Gospel,  likewise  with  the  rehearsal  of  the  Sym- 
bol through  the  sponsor  or  the  acolyte,  was  the  most 
solemn,  were  intended  to  represent  the  competent  period 
and  to  prepare  the  children  for  baptism.  Later  all 
these  ceremonies  were  crowded  into  a  single  act,  which 
rendered  a  repeated  taking  of  the  children  to  the  church 
unnecessary,  although  the  fiction  was  maintained  that 
the  children  had  to  go  in  this  act  through  the  two  stages 
of  the  catechumenate  and  the  photozomenate. 

The  training  of  children  baptized  in  infancy,  and, 
likewise,  that  of  those  who  had  remained  unbaptized, 
was  assigned  by  the  Old  Church  altogether  to  the  Chris- 
tian home.  It  followed  in  this  respect  the  example  of 
Israel,  which,  likewise,  viewed  the  home  as  the  sphere  of 
education   for   the   young.     Here   reading  was   taught; 


Infant  Baptism  and  Instruction  of  the  Young  55 

here  the  Ten  Commandments  were  committed  to  mem- 
ory ;  here  psalms  were  taught  and  the  more  important 
prayers  impressed  upon  memory  (Deut.  6,  7).  Here, 
from  time  to  time,  the  Holy  Scriptures  were  read  in  the 
circle  of  the  children.  Paul  knows  that  Timotheus  had 
been  trained  in  the  Scriptures  from  his  youth.  No  change 
was  made  in  this  respect  in  the  Jewish-Christian  home, 
and  the  Pagan-Christian  home  followed  the  example  of 
the  Jewish-Christian.  Paul  may  assume  in  the 
case  of  the  Gentile  Christians  that  the  children  had  been 
taught  the  Ten  Commandments  (Eph.  6,  4;  Col.  3,  21). 
He  admonishes  parents  to  bring  their  children  up  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  (Eph.  6.  4;  Col. 
3,  21).  Care  was  taken  to  circulate  copies  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  in  the  houses  of  the  Christians,  whereby  the 
home  was  enabled  to  fulfil  its  educational  task.  More- 
over, we  possess  a  mass  of  testimonies  concerning  the 
fact  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  were  read  with  diligence 
in  the  bosom  of  the  family,  especially  in  connection  with 
the  noonday  or  the  evening  meal,  when  the  family  were 
gathered  together.  Christian  brethren  were  occasionally 
sent  into  the  houses  of  the  poor,  in  order  that  they 
should  read  from  the  Scriptures  to  the  family,  the  chil- 
dren included.  Origen  was  held  to  hear  and  to  read  for 
himself  the  Holy  Scriptures  every  day,  also  daily  to 
memorize  and  recite  a  few  passages  therefrom  (Euse- 
bius,  Hist.  eccl.  VI,  2,  6  f.  ed.  by  Schwartz,  1908).  Some- 
thing similar  is  told  of  Basil ;  and  the  Apostolic  Con- 
stitutions exhort  parents  (IV.  11):  "Teach  your  chil- 
dren the  Word  of  God  thoroughly,  and  deliver  to  them 
every  divine  writing".  With  special  predilection  the 
psalms  were  sung  with  the  children  and  committed  to 
memory    by    them.      While    the    religious    knowledge 


56         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

thus  acquired  was,  no  doubt,  often  rather  fragmentary, 
the  Christian  spirit,  wherever  prevalent,  served  in  large 
measure  as  compensation. 

A  change  took  place  after  325.  It  is  hardly  an  ac- 
cident that  no  author  of  the  Old  Church  furnishes  so 
many  examples  of  exhorting  to  greater  care  for  the 
adolescent  youth  as  Chrysostom.  The  reason  for  this, 
alongside  of  his  love  for  the  young  and  his  exquisite 
understanding  for  them  and  their  nature,  is  the  wide 
neglect  of  Christian  home  training  for  the  young  in  that 
period.  He  never  wearies  in  appealing  to  the  hearts 
of  his  flock  by  showing  ever  new  aspects  of  this  most 
important  of  tasks,  so  fraught  with  consequences  for 
the  future.  A  common  reading  of  the  Scriptures  at 
family  worship,  joint  participation  in  the  Sunday  ser- 
vices, discussion  and  contemplation  in  the  bosom  of  the 
family  of  the  content  of  the  sermon: — these  are  to  him 
the  most  important  elements  of  the  education  of  the 
young.  With  this  he  desired  to  have  combined  instruction 
in  Biblical  History,  to  be  given  by  the  father.  Nor  did 
he  think  too  highly  of  himself  to  write  a  booklet  about 
the  education  of  children,  showing  therein,  in  an  exem- 
plary manner  at  the  hand  of  elaborate  models,  "how  a 
father  should  tell  his  children  the  stories  of  the  Bible". 
Here,  feeling  his  way  as  it  were,  he  laid  down  princi- 
ples such  as  these:  The  selection  made  from- the  stories 
of  the  Bible  is  to  depend  upon  the  capacity  of  the  chil- 
dren; the  form  of  presentation  should  be  that  of  free 
and  elaborate  narratives  in  which  proper  deference  is 
shown  to  the  imaginative  faculty  of  the  child ;  education 
is  to  stimulate  the  mind  of  the  child  to  action,  and  to  set 
forth  the  fundamental,  moral  and  religious  truths  of 
each  story. 


Infant  Baptism  and  Instruction  of  the  Young  57 

Also,  Chrysostom  it  was  who,  with  others — Basil, 
Rufinus,  Salvian — advised  parents  to  send  their  children 
into  the  convent  for  their  education.  Evidence  is  found 
that  the  convents  of  the  East,  and,  still  more,  those  of 
the  West,  received  children,  to  give  them,  in  addition 
to  practical  employment,  also  instruction.  This  ap- 
plies not  only  to  such  as  looked  forward  to  a  monastic 
career,  but  also  to  such  as  returned  into  the  world  for 
the  purpose  of  choosing  a  secular  calling.  We  have 
no  exact  knowledge  of  the  information  here  imparted. 
We  come  upon  an  isolated  reference  of  Basil  to  the  need 
of  bringing  before  the  children  not  fables  but  renowned 
events,  whereby,  to  judge  by  the  context,  the  events  of 
sacred  history  are  probably  meant.  He  also  counsels 
that  they  should  be  made  acquainted  with  the  proverbs 
of  Solomon. 

However,  only  small  numbers  were  thus  reached. 
On  the  whole  the  trend  toward  indifference  to  even  the 
highest  duties  remained  unconquered.  In  proportion  as  a 
truly  Christian  life  vanished  from  the  congregation, 
also  fidelity  in  the  instruction  of  the  adolescent  youth 
passed  away.  Just  at  the  time  when  baptism  tended 
more  and  more  to  become  restricted  to  children,  the 
Church  proved  entirely  too  feeble  to  renew  the  Christian 
home  and  to  adapt  the  education  of  its  youth  to  new 
forms.  Thus  a  question  upon  which  depended  her  whole 
future  was  passed  on  to  the  Middle  Ages  as  an  unsolved 
problem. 

B.     RELIGIOUS    INSTRUCTION    AS    IMPARTED 
BY  THE  MEDIAEVAL  CHURCH. 

J.  W.  F.  Hoefling,  I.  pp.  551  ff.;  II.  pp.  27— 49.— G.  v. 
Zezsehwitz  I  ch.  19.  23;  II  1  ch.  11.  18.  25.  27.  28.  30.  32.  33; 
II21  ch.  11;  112-  ch.  30.— Fr.  Probst,  Geschichte  d.  kathol.  Kate- 


58         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

chese,  pp.  55 — 129. — Th.  Harnack,  pp.  55 — 65. — G.  Schumann  and 
E.  Sperber,  Gesch.  d.  Religionsunterrichts,  1890,  pp.  14—23.— 
E.  Sachsse,  pp.  116 — 185. — F.  Cohrs,  Katechismusunterricht  i. 
Mittelalter,  RE,  1901,  pp.  136— 139.— W.  Caspari,  Konfirmation, 
RE,  1901.— E.  Chr.  Achelis,  pp.  294— 303.— G.  Rietschel,  Litur- 
gik  II,  pp.  8— 63.— P.  Drews,  Taufe,  RE,  1907,  pp.  435—438.— 
J.  Steinbeck,  pp.  10 — 26. — R.  v.  Raumer,  Die  Einwirkung  d. 
Christentums  auf  die  althochdeutsche  Sprache,  1845. — G.  Th. 
Dithmar,  Beitraege  zur  Geschichte  des  katech.  Unterrichts  in 
Deutschland,  1848.— P.  Goebl,  Geschichte  d.  Katechese  i.  Abend- 
land  vom  Verfall  d.  Katechumenats  bis  z.  Ende  d.  Mittelalters, 
1880. — A.  T.  Drane,  Christian  schools  and  scholars  from  the 
Christian  Era  to  the  Council  of  Trent,  1881. — H.  J.  Holtz- 
mann,  Die  Katechese  des  Mittelalters  (Zeitschr.  fuer  prakt. 
Theologie),  1898. — O.  Dibelius,  Das  Vaterunser.  Umrisse  zu  e. 
Gesch.  d.  Gebets  i.  d.  alten  und  mittelalterl.  Kirche,  1903. — 
Fr.  Wiegand,  Das  apostol.  Symbol  i.  Mittelalter,  1904.— K.  A. 
Schmid,  Geschichte  der  Erziehung,  II  1.  1892.— A.  Hauck,  Kir- 
chengeschichte Deutschlands,  I3  1904;  II3  1912;  III3  1906;  IV2 
1913;  V  1,  1911.— F.  Watson,  English  Grammar  Schools  before 
1660,  1909.— F.  P.  Graves,  History  of  Education  during  the  Mid- 
dle Ages,  1909. — A.  F.  Leach,  Church  Schools,  Bishop  Schools, 
Cathedral  Schools  (Monroe's  Cyclopedia  of  Educ),  1911. — 
A.  F.  Leach,  Schools  of  Mediaeval  England,  1915. 

11.     Religious   Instruction  from  the   Seventh   Century 
to  the  End  of  the  Twelfth. 

A.  Hauck,  Kirchengeschichte  Deutschlands  I,  pp.  208 — 216. 
341  ff.  368.  394.  492.  531  f.  552.  556.  569;  II,  p.  123.  168  f.  185  ff. 
237  ff.  270  ff.  392.  397.  466  f.  724;  III.  pp.  323  ff.  929  ff.;  IV,  38. 
— Fr.  Wiegand,  Die  Stellung  des  apostol.  Symbols  im  Mittel- 
alter I,  pp.  261 — 351. — W.  J.  Townsend,  The  Great  Schoolmen 
of  the  Middle  Ages.  1881.— F.  A.  Specht,  Geschichte  des  Unter- 
richtswesens in  Deutschland  von  den  aeltesten  Zeiten  bis  zur 
Mitte  d.  13.  Jahrhunderts,  1885.— J.  Baier,  Der  heilige  Bruno, 
Bishof  von  Wuerzburg,  als  Katechet.  1893.— Fr.  Wiegand,  Erz- 
bishof Odilbert  v.  Mailand  ueber  die  Taufe,  1899.— A.  F.  West, 
Alcuin  and  the  rise  of  the  Christian  schools,  1892. — H.  Ditscheid, 
Alkuins  Leben  und   Bedeutung  fuer  den  religioesen  Unterricht 


Religious  Instruction  from  the  Seventh  Century  59 

II,  1903.— M.  Manitius,  Geschichte  der  lateinischen  Literatur 
des  Mittelalters,  I :  Von  Justinian  bis  zur  Mitte  des  10.  Jahr- 
hunderts, 1911.— P.  Sprockhoff,  Althochdeutsche  Katechetik, 
1912.— G.  H.  Hoerle,  Fruehmittelalterliche  Moenchs-  u.  Kleri- 
kerbildung in  Italien,  1914.— Dicta  abbatis  Priminii  (sie!)  de 
singulis  libris  canonicis  scarapsus,  reprinted  in  a  reliable  text 
in  :  P.  Caspari,  Kirchenhistorische  Anekdota,  1883,  pp.  151  ff. — 
Bonifatii  epistolae,  ed.  by  E.  Duemmler  (Monumenta  Germaniae 
Historica,  Epistolae,  tomus  III,  pp.  215  ff.).— Charlemagne: 
Capitularia  regum  Francorum,  MGH  1,  1883,  Concilia,  MGH 
II,  1906;  Epistolae,  MGH  III  and  IV,  1892.  1895;  H.  Schuetze, 
Auslese  aus  den  Werken  beruehmter  Lehrer  und  Paedagogen  d. 
Mittelalters,  No.  5 :  Verordnungen  u.  Briefe  von  Karl  d.  Gr. 
(Charlemagne's  circular  letter  to  the  archbishops,  p.  26;  compare 
also  Wiegand,  Erzbishof  Odilbert  etc.,  pp.  23  ft'.;  on  p.  9  Wie- 
gand  notes  where  the  answers  of  the  bishops  can  be  found). — 
Alcuini  opera  in  MSL  100  and  101 ;  the  "Disputatio  puerorum  per 
interrogations  et  responsiones",  is  found  in  vol.  101,  p.  1099 
f. ;  German  in  Probst,  Geschichte  der  katholischen  Katechese, 
pp.  89  ff. ;  eh.  II  contains  an  explanation  of  the  Creed,  and 
ch.  12  an  explanation  of  the  Lord's  Prayer;  both  of  which  are 
to  be  found  in  German  and  Latin  in  Baier,  Bruno  v.  Wuerz- 
burg,  pp.  117  ff.  Alkuin's  letters  also  in  MGH,  Epistolae  IV 
ed.  by  E.  Duemmler,  1895.— Compare  H.  Schuetze,  Auslese  etc. 
No.  3:  Alkuins  Brief  an  Karl  d.  Grossen  etc.,  1879;  J.  Freund- 
gen, Alkuins  paedagogische  Schriften,  1899.— Ratio  de  Catechi- 
zandis  Rudibus  and  the  baptismal  discourses  of  Maxentius  of 
Aquileja  and  of  an  anonymous  writer  are  edited' by  J.  M.  Heer: 
Ein  Karolingischer  Missionskatechismus,  1911.— Rhabani  Mauri 
opera  in  MSL  107 — 112.  De  institutione  clericorum.  107  pp. 
295  pp.;  De  ecclesiastica  disciplina  (of  special  importance)  112, 
pp.  1191  ff. ;  De  institutione  clericorum  in  separate  edition  by  A. 
Knoepfler,  1900.  Compare  J.  Freundgen,  Rhabanus  Maurus'  pae- 
dagogische Schriften,  1889.— Jonas  of  Orleans,  De  institutione 
laicali,  MSL  106,  pp.  152  ff.  (In  liber  I  ch.  6  and  8  and  liber 
II  ch.  14  he  treats  of  the  duties  of  sponsors  and  parents  in  re- 
gard to  the  Christian  training  of  their  children) ;  an  interesting 
instruction  in  proper  Christian  conduct  was  written  by  Dhuoda 
(or  Dodana)  in  her  Liber  manualis,  begun  in  841,  and  intended 
for  her  son,  a  youth  of  16  years,  who  at  the  time  was  absent 


60         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

from  home  (MSL  106,  pp.  109  pp.;  a  more  complete  edition  by 
Bondurant.  1887;  German  by  G.  Meier  in:  Bibliothek  der  ka- 
tholischen Paedagogik,  vol.  III.  1890). — Denkmaeler  deutscher 
Poesie  und  Prosa  aus  dem  8.— 12.  Jahrhundert  by  K.  Muellen- 
hoff  u.  W.  Scherer,  third  edition  by  E.  Steinmeyer,  2  vols,  1892; 
Exhortatio  ad  plebem  christianam  I,  pp.  200 — 201;  Freising  ex- 
planation of  the  Lord's  Prayer  I,  pp.  202 — 203 ;  The  Weissen- 
burg  Catechism  I,  pp.  204 — 209;  Notker's  Catechism  I,  249 — 
259,  and  a  large  number  of  Old  High  German  formulas  of  faith, 
prayer  and  confession. — The  Heliand,  ed.  by  P.  Piper,  1897; 
German  by  K.  Simrock,  :J1882. — Otfried's  Gospel  Book  ed.  by 
P.  Piper,  1878;  German  by  G.  Rapp,  1858. — Theoduli  ecloga,  rec. 
J.  Osternacher.  1904;  compare  J.  Osternacher,  Quos  auctores  La- 
tinos et  sacrorum  Bibliorum  locos  Theodulus  imitatus  esse  vide- 
atur,  1907;  K.  Knoke  in  "Haus  und  Schule,  Hannoverisches  Zeit- 
blatt, 1874",  pp.  124  ff.;  also  in  "Theol.  Studien  u.  Kritiken", 
1881,  pp.  Ill  f.;  H.  Vollmer  in  "Zur  Geschichte  des  biblischen 
Unterrichts"  (Baumgarten's  "Monatsschrift  fuer  die  kirchl. 
Praxis"  1904  pp.  321  ff.)  and  also,  "Beitraege  zur  Geschichte  d. 
bibl.  Unterrichts,  besonders  in  Deutschland"  (Mitteilungen  der 
Gesellschaft  fuer  deutsche  Erziehungs-  u.  Schulgeschichte,  1904, 
pp.  278  ff.) ;  G.  L.  Hamilton,  Theodulus,  a  mediaeval  text-book 
(Modern  Philology),  1909,  especially  M.  Manitius  loc.  cit.  I, 
pp.  568 — 574. — Comestoris  Historia  scholastica,  reprinted  in 
MSL  198,  pp.  1050  ff.  1855.— Biblia  Historica:  E.  Reusch,  Die 
deutsche  Historienbibel  vor  Erfindung  der  Buchdruckerkunst 
(Beitraege  z.  theol.  Wissenschaft  von  Reusch  und  Kunitz),  1855; 
Th.  Merzdorf,  Die  deutschen  Historienbibeln  des  Mittelalters  2 
vols,  (texts),  1870;  H.  Vollmer,  Ober-  u.  mitteldeutsche  Histo- 
rienbibeln, 1912. — Biblia  Pauperum,  compare  literature  chapter 
12. — Miracle  and  Morality  Plays:  F.  J.  Mone,  Altdeutsche 
Schauspiele,  1841 ;  Schauspiele  des  Mittelalters  (Deutsche  Na- 
tionalliteratur, vol.  14),  1891;  Wilken,  Geschichte  d.  geistlichen 
Spiele  in  Deutschland,  1872;  E.  K.  Chambers,  The  mediaeval 
stage,  2  vols.  1903.  Compare :  W.  Creizenach,  Geistl.  Spiele, 
RE,  1906,  p.  636—648. 

When,  in  consequence  of  the  substitution  of  lit- 
urgical ceremonies  for  saving  Christian  truth,  the  adult 
catechumenate   had   reached  the  stage  of  growing  de- 


Religious   Instruction  from  the  Seventh  Century  61 

cadence,  and  before  a  regular  method  of  instruction  for 
those  baptized  in  infancy  had  come  into  vogue,  the 
Mediaeval  Church  found  herself  face  to  face  with  two 
important  problems,  the  correct  solution  of  which  de- 
termined her  whole  future  development. 

Let  us  begin  by  examining  her  effort  in  regard  to 
the  first  problem.  Usually  it  was  not  even  seriously 
touched,  let  alone  solved.  Augustine,  e.  g.,  when  labor- 
ing among  the  Anglo-Saxons  (597 — 98),  Wilfrid  and 
Willibrord,  when  laboring  among  the  Frisians  (678; 
690  ff.),  even  Boniface,  when  laboring  among  the  Hes- 
sians and  Frisians  (719  ff.),  afterward  Ansgar,  when 
laboring  among  the  Danes  and  Swedes  (837  ff.),  and 
Otto  of  Bamberg,  when  laboring  among  the  Pomeran- 
ians (1124  and  1128),  restricted  themselves  to  a  forcible 
proclamation  of  the  Gospel  and  the  subsequent  baptism 
of  those  that  had  been  convinced  by  such  preaching  of 
the  vanity  of  idolatry  and  the  greater  worth  of  Chris- 
tianity. There  was  no  particular  instruction  between  ap- 
plication for  baptism  and  the  sacred  act  itself.  The  es- 
pecial injunction  by  Boniface  to  lay  before  the  candi- 
dates for  baptism  the  formula  of  renunciation  and  that 
of  baptism  in  their  native  tongue,  in  order  to  secure  in- 
telligence for  the  things  to  be  renounced  and  the  pro- 
mises to  be  made,  justifies  the  inference  that  even  that 
had  been  frequently  omitted.  Finally,  when  the 
nations  were  even  coerced  to  accept  Christianity,  as  the 
Saxons  under  Charlemagne,  the  Livonians  by  the 
Knights  of  the  Sword  (1200  ff.),  or  the  Prussians  by  the 
Teutonic  Knights  (1230  ff.),  baptismal  instruction  was 
altogether  out  of  the  question. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that,  in  many  cases,  care  was 
lacking    also    after    baptism.      Confirmation,    which,    as 


62         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious -Instruction 

early  as  this  period,  had  become  detached  from  baptism 
and  assigned  to  the  bishop,  was  seldom  made  an  occa- 
sion of  spiritual  fruitage  through  appropriate  instruc- 
tion; nor  were  the  priests  generally  able  to  remedy  the 
neglect  through  preaching  and  instruction  after  baptism. 
The  belief  in  the  magical  effect  of  the  sacraments  man- 
ifested its  ruinous  power.  That,  in  these  circumstances, 
only  a  very  meager  Christian  life  could  result,  is  evi- 
dent. The  well-meant  advice  of  Gregory  the  Great  to 
spare  and  retain  everything  in  the  pagan  forms  and 
places  of  worship  which  should  show  itself  capable  of 
a  translation  into  Christian  significance  and  forms,  was 
thoroughly  heeded.  In  consequence  the  dualism  of  di- 
vine worship  and  idolatry,  the  co-ordination  of  pagan 
magic  formulas  and  Christian  ceremonies  was  seldom 
outgrown;  even  to  the  latter  magic  powers  were  fre- 
quently ascribed.  Such  is  our  information  by  Pirmin 
concerning  the  Allemanni  on  the  Lake  of  Constance  and 
in  Alsace,  and  concerning  conditions  in  Bavaria  by 
Boniface.  Centuries  were  required  to  retrieve  the  mis- 
take. To  be  sure,  the  catechumenate  of  the  Old  Church 
could  not  have  been  adopted  without  change  for  the 
new  conditions.  There  the  situation  was  that  of  the 
old  world  of  culture,  whereas  here  primitive  peoples 
were  in  question,  whose  language  was  as  yet  devoid 
of  every  trace  of  literary  expression.  In  the  former  case 
th^  individual  was  wont  to  think,  act,  and  turn  to  Chris- 
tianity of  his  own  accord,  as  soon  as  he  was  inwardly 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  Christianity;  whereas  in  the 
latter  case  the  individual  was  so  thoroughly  identified 
with  his  tribe  and  nation  that  his  attitude  was  bound 
up  with  the  collective  stand  of  tribe  or  nation — for 
Christianity    or    against    it.      However,    therewith    the 


Religious  Instruction  from  the  Seventh  Century  63 

Church  was  not  absolved  from  the  duty  of  baptismal 
discipline. 

Nor  were  men  lacking  at  the  outset  who  laid  stress 
upon  instruction.  Among  these  Pirmin  is  to  be  named, 
whom  we  had  occasion  to  mention  above.  Whenever  it 
befell  that  adults  were  to  be  baptized  by  him  among  the 
Allemanni,  who  at  that  time  were  reputed  to  have  been 
christianized  (724 — 753),  it  was  not  done  without  pre- 
ceding instruction.  As  guide  the  catalogue  of  mortal 
sins  was  used  on  that  occasion,  which  had  been  developed 
from  Gal.  5,  19  ff.  and  1:  Cor.  6,  9.  10  (cupiditas,  gula, 
fornicatio,  ira,  tristitia,  acedia,  vana  gloria,  superbia)  ; 
likewise  the  Apostolic  Symbol.  Such  instruction  was  to 
him  the  principal  thing,  while,  in  contrast  to  Boniface, 
who  introduced  the  whole  copious  Roman  baptismal 
ceremonial,  the  act  of  baptism  was  limited  to  its  essen- 
tial features :  renunciation,  confession  of  the  apostolic 
symbol,  and  immersion,  followed  by  anointment  and 
robing  in  white.  Afterward,  it  was  Alcuin  that  insisted 
upon  thorough  preparation  for  baptism  when  the  Avars 
were  to  receive  Christianity ;  and  Charlemagne,  who  had 
learned  the  lesson  from  the  forcible  christianization  of 
the  Saxons,  accepted  his  advice.  Alcuin  returned  to  the 
practise  of  the  Old  Church,  recommending  to  the  mis- 
sionaries Augustine's  book  "De  Catechizandis  Rudi- 
bus"  as  the  most  appropriate  manual.  He  required  first 
of  all  a  general  instruction  concerning  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  the  last  judgment,  eternal  life  and  eternal 
punishment,  and,  finally,  a  brief  explanation  of  the 
Symbol  and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and,  after  baptism,  an  in- 
troduction into  the  commandments  of  the  Gospel.  The 
commission  adopted  Alcuin's  counsel.  As  an  echo,  as  it 
were,  of  the  instruction  of  competents  in'  olden  time,  we 


64         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

hear  that  the  period  of  instruction  was  to  last  no  longer 
than  forty  nor  less  than  seven  days.  Though  the  mini- 
mum appears  to  us  entirely  too  short,  and  ,the  instruc- 
tion imparted  may  not  always  have  attained  to  the  level 
of  the  extant  catechism  of  a  missionary  of  the  Regens- 
burg diocese  (about  800) f  still  there  was  a  renewed  rec- 
ognition by  the  Church  of  her  task,  and  the  achieve- 
ments of  the  past  two  centuries  were  left  far  behind. 
The  example  set  by  Alcuin  was  followed  by  Rhabanus 
Maurus.  In  his  writing  to  Reginbald,  the  missionary 
among  the  Slavonians  (about  845),  this  leader,  likewise 
in  agreement  with  Augustine,  required  as  baptismal 
preparation  a  compendium  of  sacred  and  church  history 
(narratio),  the  "exhortatio",  to  be  taught  in  connection 
with  the  hope  of  resurrection,  and  then  instruction  in 
the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Symbol.  The  extent  to  which 
these  reminders  affected  succeeding  periods  eludes  our 
ken. 

Infant  baptism,  according  to  Old  Church  usage, 
as  might  be  expected,  was  practised  everywhere,  save 
in  mission  territory.  In  England,  for  instance,  under 
sanction  of  law,  the  duty  was  made  incumbent  upon 
Christian. parents  as  early  as  691  to  baptize  their  chil- 
dren within  thirty  days ;  in  Northumberland,  within 
nine  days,  while  Charlemagne  fixed  the  limit  at  one 
year.  In  Germany,  especially  since  the  introduction  of 
the  Roman  order  of  service,  in  which  great  stress  was 
laid  upon  such  externatities,  the  original  days  for  bap- 
tism, Easter  and  Pentecost,  were  maintained  for  a  con- 
siderable period,  without,  however,  becoming  exclusive. 
In  baptism  proper  the  Roman  form  was  followed  with 
increasing  fidelity,  although  the  sacramental  formula 
sent  by   Pope  Hadrian  I    to   Charlemagne  was   by  no 


Religious  Instruction  from  the  Seventh  Century  65 

means  adopted  without  changes.  Immersion  remained 
the  mode  of  baptism,  although,  as  formerly,  by  no  means 
exclusively,  aspersion  tending  to  become  the  general 
mode   after  1287. 

But  how  about  the  required  adjustment  to  the  dis- 
ciplinary problem  arising  from  infant  baptism?  At 
first,  such  problem  was  no  more  clearly  perceived  than 
that  of  the  preparation  of  adults  for  baptism;  still 
less  was  an  attempt  made  at  its  solution.  And  yet,  in 
consequence  of  the  frequent  failure  of  the  home  in 
the  premises,  the  problem  was  even  more  insistent  than 
it  had  been  in  the  Old  Church.  In  Allemannia,  for 
instance,  the  clergy  were  satisfied  with  performing  the 
magic  act  of  baptism,  without  any  subsequent  care  of 
the  adolescent  youth  whatever.  Not  so  Pirmin.  He  at- 
tempted in  all  seriousness  to  instruct  the  children  after 
their  baptism.  The  catalogue  of  mortal  sins  and  the 
twelve  articles  of  the  symbol — a  division  due  to  belief 
in  the  legend  that  each  of  the  apostles  had  his  share  in 
the  formulation  of  the  symbol — served  as  appropriate 
material.  Boniface,  likewise,  was  active  in  this  direc- 
tion. But  a  fixed  and  stable  method  was  not  established 
till  the  time  of  Charlemagne.  He,  indeed,  enjoined  that 
the  seven  scrutiny  masses,  or,  at  least,  the  one  integrally 
joined  to  the  baptismal  ceremony,  should  constitute  the 
ceremonial  of  the  occasion;  but  he  added  to  this  injunc- 
tion the  demand  for  instruction  in  connection  with  the 
sacrament,  to  be  imparted,  not  to  the  immature  chil- 
dren, but  to  the  sponsors  representing  them.  To  them 
the  initial  catechization,  a  part  of  the  ceremonial  since 
the  days  of  Augustine,  was  to  be  addressed;  they  had 
to  receive  instruction  in  the  symbol  and  the  Lord's 
Prayer;   they  had  to   commit  them  to  memory  and  to 


66         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

recite  them  in  the  place  of  the  children,  and,  likewise, 
promise  to  make  them  the  basis  of  their  god-children's 
education.  Charles  gave  stringent  directions  to  permit 
no  one  to  act  as  witness  at  baptism  unless  he  was  able 
to  recite  those  parts  and,  measurably,  to  understand 
them ;  nor  did  he  hesitate  to  take  drastic  steps  against 
the  recalcitrant.  In  this  way  the  State  took  in  hand 
what  the  Church  failed  to  do  on  her  own  accord :  no 
wonder  that,  from  the  very  outset,  the  impress  of  law 
was  stamped  upon  the  baptismal  rite.  As  the  sponsors, 
so  the  parents  were  directed  to  instruct  their  children. 
Moreover,  the  priest  was  held  to  call  periodic 
meetings  of  the  adults  for  the  purpose  of  teach- 
ing them  the  Symbol  and  the  Lord's  Prayer  by 
memory,  and  to  exhort  them  to  constancy  in  the  faith 
involved.  Altogether  to  evade  priestly  control  in  the 
premises  was  impossible,  for  it  was  the  duty  of  the 
priest  to  ascertain  in  connection  with  confession  whether 
parents  and  sponsors  had  done  their  professed  duty, 
and  whether  the  children  had  really  been  taught  the 
Symbol  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Lacking  such  essential 
knowledge,  they  could  be  excluded  from  Holy  Commu- 
nion and  must  be  excluded  from  the  privilege  of  spon- 
sorship. Also  the  bishops,  who  were  held  to  make  in- 
quiry in  regard  to  these  matters  upon  the  occasion  of 
their  visitations,  were  a  factor  in  the  regulation  of  this 
affair.  In  order  to  enable  the  priest  to  guide  his  wards 
into  an  understanding  of  the  Symbol  and  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  every  parsonage  library  had  to  contain  an  autho- 
rized explanation  of  those  formulas ;  and  when  a  visita- 
tion was  held  by  the  bishop,  it  was  his  duty  to  inquire 
whether  it  was  put  to  faithful  use.  While  almost  all  the 
preaching  of  the  period  in  question — what  there  was  left 


Religious   Instruction   from  the  Seventh  Century  67 

of  it— turned  upon  the  material  supplied  in  the  catalogue 
of  mortal  sins,  the  Symbol,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the 
articles  of  the  Symbol  received  special  attention  on 
one  of  the  last  Sundays  in  Lent,  when  sermons  were 
preached  upon  them  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  about 
an  intelligent  interest  in  the  baptism  to  be  performed 
in  connection  with  the  Easter  solemnities. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  pastors  and  their  congrega- 
tions, the  Symbol  and  the  Lord's  Prayer  were  translated 
into  German,  in  which  form  they  became  the  basis  of 
doctrinal  and  edifying  tracts.  Thus  the  first  German 
catechisms  came  at  that  time  into  being.  As  the  most 
important  among  them  ranks  the  so-called  Weissenburg 
Catechism  of  789.  It  contains  the  following  five  parts : 
1.  The  Lord's  Prayer  in  German  together  with  a  brief 
explanation  drawn  from  Tertullian  and  Cyprian,  appro- 
priated, in  part,  by  Luther  for  his  catechism;  2.  An 
enumeration  of  mortal  sins  according  to  Gal.  5,  19 — ■ 
21,  in  both  Latin  and  German;  3.  The  Apostolic  Sym- 
bol, German  and  Latin;  4.  The  Athanasian  Symbol, 
German  and  Latin;  5.  The  Gloria  in  Excelsis,  German 
and  Latin.  In  this  connection  are  to  be  mentioned  also 
the  Freising  Explanation  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  of  802; 
the  popular  explanation  of  the  Apostolic  Symbol  and 
the  Lord's  Prayer  ( ?  by  Alcuin),  given  in  the  form  of 
questions  and  answers  (Disputatio  puerorum  per  inter- 
rogationes  et  responsiones,  chapters  XI  and  XII)  ;  and 
the  catechism  of  Notker  of  Saint  Gall  (950—1022), 
which  contains  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Apostolic  and  the 
Athanasian  Symbols  in  the  Latin  language  together  with 
a  German  translation  and  explanation  (only  the  ex- 
planation of  the  Lord's  Prayer  is  of  moment). 

A  survey  of  these  efforts  must  result  in  sincere  com- 


68         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

mendation  of  the  earnest  purpose  and  energy  with 
which,  amid  the  greatest  imaginable  difficulties,  the  task 
of  educating  the  baptized  in  the  Christian  faith  was  per- 
formed. Notwithstanding,  we  must  concede  that  the 
appropriation  of  the  articles  in  question  was  largely 
restricted  to  the  memory,  and  that  saving  faith  was  in 
great  measure  identified  with  the  mere  knowledge  of  the 
formulas  of  faith  and  prayer.  The  externalizing  pro- 
cess begun  by  the  Old  Church,  whereby  what  is  essen- 
tially a  matter  of  the  inner  life  became  a  matter  of  mere 
outward  expression,  now  gained  the  upper  hand. 

Somewhat  better  results  were  achieved  in  the 
schools  which  Charlemagne  extended  and  raised  to  a 
higher  standard  of  efficiency,  although  their  existence 
antedates  his  reign.  While  this  does  not  apply  to  the 
parochial  schools,  which  pursued  a  higher  aim  in  the 
education  of  those  pupils  only  who  were  intended  by 
the  priests  for  the  position  of  acolytes,  it  does  apply  to 
the  cathedral  and  convent  schools.  Here,  in  addition 
to  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Apostolic  and  the  Athana- 
sian  Creeds,  the  Psalms  were  assiduously  made  sub- 
jects of  study  and  song;  also  the  sections  of  the  New 
Testament  which  recurred  at  the  divine  services  at  regu- 
lar intervals  were  committed  to  memory.  Here  ac- 
quaintance with  the  most  important  events  of  sacred 
history  could  not  be  avoided.  In  the  first  place,  oppor- 
tunity was  given  to  hear  the  explanations  of  the  Sym- 
bol, whose  tenor  was  at  times  historical,  and  the  ser- 
mons, which  had  begun  to  become  more  general  since 
the  advent  of  Charlemagne, — means  whereby  some 
knowledge  of  Bible  History  became  possible  for  all. 
Such  knowledge  was  increased  when  the  pupils  were  ex- 
ercized in  calculating  the  dates  of  the  festivals,  and  when 


Religious  Instruction  from  the  Seventh  Century  69 

the  lessons  of  the  pericope  were  heard  in  connection 
with  the  mass,  which  was  read  in  Latin.  Even  more 
useful  in  this  respect  were  the  "Ecloga",  which  possessed 
great  vogue  in  these  schools.  Composed  by  Theodul 
(Gottschalk)  about  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century, 
it  was  a  dialogue  in  verse  between  a  young  man  that 
impersonated  the  spirit  of  paganism  and  a  young  wo- 
man impersonating  that  of  Christianity,  whereby 
abundant  historic  material  was  turned  to  account. 
In  the  sphere  of  these  schools  and  beyond  it, 
considerable  knowledge  of  the  life  of  Christ  was 
communicated  by  the  epic  "Heliand",  produced  about 
830,  and  Otfrid  of  Weissenburg's  "Krist",  which  appear- 
ed about  860.  Genuine  instruction  in  Biblical  History, 
however,  was  not  given  in  these  schools ;  nor  could  the 
instruction  imparted  possess  a  general  scope,  since  they 
were  attended  primarily  only  by  future  clerics  and  "re- 
ligiosi". 

As  soon  as  these  appliances  passed  from  under  the 
vigorous  hand  of  Charlemagne,  many  features  doubtless 
fell  into  disuse,  in  spite  of  the  earnest  efforts  of  Louis 
the  Pious.  The  fundamental  ones,  however,  remained, 
leaving  the  possibility  of  a  future  resumption  of  the 
interrupted  development  in  pursuance  of  synodical  reso- 
lutions. As  a  matter  of  fact,  parents,  sponsors,  and 
priests  had  their  disciplinary  duty  enjoined  upon  them 
again  and  again.  The  explanation  by  Alcuin  of  the 
Symbol  and  the  Lord's  Prayer  enjoyed  vogue  in  Ger- 
many for  two  hundred  years,  while  Notker's  Catechism 
was  used  until  the  twelfth  century.  Of  the  Ecloga  by 
Theodul  are  extant  today  over  a  hundred  and  fifty 
manuscript  copies,  representing  every  century  of  the 
Middle  Age;  as  late  as  1504  it  appeared  in  print.    In  the 


/Ö  T-he  Historical  Development  oi  Religious  Instruction 

second  half  of  the  twelfth  century,  the  voluminous 
"Scholastica  Historia",  by  Peter  Comestor  (t  1179),  was 
added  to  this  class  of  literature.  Although  not  intended 
for  the  young,  like  the  kindred  "Biblia  historica",  it  con- 
veyed knowledge  of  Bible  History  to  such  circles  as 
it  reached.  Acquaintance  with  the  principal  epochs  of 
biblical  history  was  gained  on  the  part  of  the  people 
since  the  eleventh  century  through  religious  spectacles 
and  the  mural,  altar,  and  window  decorations  in  the 
churches.  The  "Biblia  Pauperum",  to  be  mentioned 
later,  found  its  origin  in  the  pictures  of  the  headpiece 
of  the  altar  in  Klosterneuburg  (A.  D.  1181).  Notwith- 
standing, a  regular  introduction  to  biblical  history, 
open  to  all  the  baptized,  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  More- 
over, the  material  under  consideration  was  largely  rank 
with  matter  of  an  apocryphal  and  legendary  character. 

12.      Religious    Instruction    in   the    Church    From    the 

Thirteenth  Century  to  the  End  of  the 

Middle  Ages. 

J.  Geffken,  Der  Bilderkatechismus  des  15.  Jahrhunderts  und 
die  katechetischen  Hauptstuecke  in  dieser  Zeit  bis  auf  Luther,  I, 
Die  10  Gebote,  1855. — V.  Hasak,  Der  christliche  Glaube  des 
deutschen  Volkes  beim  Schluss  des  Mittelalters,  dargestellt  in 
deutschen  Sprachdenkmalen,  1868. — H.  Brueck,  Der  religioese 
Unterricht  fuer  Tugend  und  Volk  in  Deutschland  in  der  2. 
Haelfte  des  15.  Jahrhunderts,  1876. — F.  Hipler,  Christliche  Lehre 
und  Erziehung  in  Ermeland  und  im  preussischen  Ordensstaat 
waehrend  des  Mittelalters,  1877. — Chr.  Moufang,  Die  Mainzer 
Katechismen  von  Erfindung  der  Buchdruckerkunst  bis  zum 
Ende  des  18.  Jahrhunderts.  1877. — J.  Janssen,  Geschichte  des 
deutschen  Volkes  seit  Ausgang  des  Mittelalters,  vol.  I.  first  ed. 
1877. — C.  A.  H.  Burckhardt,  Geschichte  der  saechsischen  Kir- 
chen und  Schulvisitationen  von  152-1 — 1545,  1879.— Fr.  Falk, 
Die  Druckkunst  im  Dienst  der  Kirche,  zunaechst  in  Deutsch- 
land,  bis   zum  Jahr   1520,   1879.— F.  Schneider,   Die   Tischgebete 


Religious  Instruction  from  1200  to  1517  71 

in  Luthers  Katechismus  (Anzeiger  fuer  Kunde  der  deutschen 
Vorzeit),  1880. — K.  Grube,  Johannes  Busch,  ein  kathol.  Re- 
former -d.  15.  Jahrh.,  1881. — Chr.  Moufang, .  Katholische  Kate- 
chismen d.  16.  Jahrh.,  1881.— V.  Hasak,  Dr.  M.  Luther  u.  d.  re- 
ligioese  Literatur  seiner  Zeit  bis  zum  Jahre  1520,  1881, — H. 
Weber,  Geschichte  d.  Christenlehr-Unterrichts  u.  d.  Katechis- 
men i.  Bistum  Bamberg,  1882.— O.  Kaemmel,  Gesch.  d.  deutschen 
Schulwesens  i.  Uebergang  v.  Mittelalter  zur  Neuzeit,  1882. — 
J.  Mueller,  Quellenschriften  z.  Gesch.  d.  deutschsprachl.  Unter- 
richts bis  z.  Mitte  d.  16.  Jahrh.,  1882.— Th.  Esser,  Geschichte  des 
englischen  Grusses  [Hail  Mary]  (Histor.  Jahrbuch  d.  Goerres- 
Gesellschaft,  Vol.  5,  pp.  88—116),  1884.— J.  Mueller,  Schulord- 
nungen u.  Schulvertraege  in  hoch-  u.  niederdeutscher  Sprache 
von  1296—1523,  1885.— I.  H.  Lupton,  A  Life  of  John  Colet.  with 
an  appendix  of  some  of  his  English  writings,  1887. — J.  Muelleir, 
Die  deutschen  Katechismen  d.  boehmischen  Brueder,  1887. — 
J.  Mueller,  Die  Anfaenge  d.  saechsischen  Schulwesens  (N. 
Archiv  f.  Saechsische  Gesch.  u.  Altertumskunde),  1887. — F. 
Falk,  Der  Unterricht  d.  Volkes  i.  d.  katech.  Hauptstuecken  am 
Ende  d.  Mittelalters  (Hist,  politische  Blaetter),  1891,  pp.  553 
ff.;  682  ff.;  1892,  81  ff.;  721  ff.;  729  ff.— P.  Bahlmann,  Deutsch- 
lands katholische  Katechismen  bis  z.  Ende  d.  16.  Jahrh.,  1894. — 
A.  Roesler,  Kardinal  Joh.  Dominicis  Erziehungslehre  u.  die 
uebrigen  paedagogischen  Leistungen  Italiens  i.  15.  Jahrh.,  1894. 
— J.  Mueller,  Zu  den  Schriften  d.  Mag.  Nicolaus  Rutze  in  Ros- 
tock (Zeitschr.  f.  niedersaechs.  Kirchengesch.),  1896. — F.  A. 
Gasquet,  Religious  Instruction  in  England  during  the  14th  and 
15th  centuries  in :  The  Old  English  Bible  and  other  essays, 
1897.— F.  Cohrs,  Zur  Katechese  am  Ende  d.  Mittelalters 
(Zeitschr.  f.  prakt.  Theologie),  1898. — F.  Cohrs,  Die  evangeli- 
schen Katechismusversuche  vor  Luth.  Enchiridion,  vol.  4,  1902. 
— J.  Richter,  Die  paedagogische  Literatur  in  Frankreich  waeh- 
rend  *d.  16.  Jahrb.,  1904. — F.  Wiegand,  Das  apostolische  Sym- 
bol im  Mittelalter,  1904. — F.  H.  Kunz,  Joh.  Gersons  paedagogi- 
sche Schriften  (Bibl.  d.  kathol.  Paedagogik.  vol.  15),  1904. — 
F.  H.  Thalhofer,  Die  katechetischen  Lehrstuecke  i.  Mittelalter 
(Mitteilungen  der  Gesellschaft  fuer  deutsche  Erziehungs-  und 
Schulgeschichte),  1905. — W.  Burger,  Roemische  Bcitraege  z. 
Gesch.  d.  Katechese  i.  Mittelalter  (Roemische  Quartalschrift), 
1907. — M.    Reu,    Quellen    z.    Gesch.    d.    kirchl.    Unterrichts    i.    ev. 


72         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Deutschland  zw.  1530  u.  1600,  2.  Teil,  1906.— G.  S.  Coulton, 
Mediaeval  Studies,  No.  7 :  Religious  Education  before  the 
Reformation,  1906.— J.  Greving,  Zum  vorreformatorischen 
Beichtunterricht,  1907. — R.  Galle,  An  der  Wiege  des  biblischen 
Geschichtsunterrichts  und  Luthers  Passionale  (Mitteilungen 
etc.),  1907.— F.  Fellinger,  Das  Kind  in  der  altfranzoesischen  Li- 
teratur, 1908.— M.  Reu,  Der  kirchl.  Unterricht  am  Vorabend  der 
Reformattion  (Kirchl.  Zeitschrift),  1910.— A.  Hauck,  Kirchen- 
geschichte Deutschlands  V,  1  (pp.  340  ff.;  358  ff.),  1911.— M. 
Reu,  Religious  Instruction  of  the  Young  in  the  Century  before 
the  Reformation  (Luth.  Church  Review),  1915. — Biblia  Pau- 
perum:  Camesina  u.  Heider,  Biblia  Pauperum,  Darstellungen 
d.  Biblia  Pauperum  i.  e.  Handschrift  d.  14.  Jahrh.,  1863. — Laib 
und  Schwarz,  Biblia  Pauperum.  Nach  d.  Original  zu  Con- 
stanz,  her.,  21892. — W.  L.  Schreiber,  Die  Entstehung  und  Ent- 
wicklung der  B.  P.  unter  besonderer  Beruecksichtigung  der 
uns  erhaltenen  Handschriften,  29  Textillustrationen  und  11 
Lichtdrucktafeln,  1903.— P.  Heitz  and  W.  L.  Schreiber,  Biblia 
Pauperum.  Nach  dem  einzigen  Exemplar  in  50  Darstellungen, 
1903.— F.  J.  Luttor,  Biblia  Pauperum,  Studie  zur  Herstellung 
eines  inneren  Systems.  Mit  dem  Text  der  in  der  Wiener  Hof- 
bibliothek aufbewahrten  Handschrift.  1912. — J  Lutz  and  P.  Per- 
drizet,  Speculum  humanae  salvationis,  critical  edition,  1906  f. — 
Abaelardi  opera  MSL  178;  Explanation  of  the  Apostolic  Sym- 
bol, pp.  617 — 630. — Thomas  Aquinas,  Opuscula  (Paris  1656) ; 
opusculum  5 :  De  articulis  fidei  et  ecclesiae  sacramentis,  pp. 
47 — 54;  Opusculum  4:  De  decern  praeceptis  et  lege  amoris.  pp. 
30 — 46;  opuscula  7  and  8:  Expositio  orationis  dominicae  et 
salutationis  angelicae,  pp.  206 — -218;  opusculum  16:  Expositio 
Symboli  Apostolorum  (pp.  240 — 258).  Compare  C.  Martin,  Aus- 
gewaehlte  Schriften  des  Thomas  v.  Aquin  (Two  commandments 
of  love,  the  ten  commandments  of  God  and  the  holy  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar),  1852.  Compare:  A.  Portmann  and  X. 
Kunz,  Katechismus  des  hl.  Thomas  v.  Aquin,  21899;  here  we 
find  five  other  catechetical  writings  most  af  them  intended  for 
adults  or  even  for  theologians :  1.  Speculum  ecclesiae  of  Ed- 
mund of  Canterbury  (f  1242).  pp.  261—316;  2.  La  Somme  le 
Roi,  of  Laurentius  Gallus  (f  1285),  pp.  3)7—337;  3.  Summary 
of  Christian  doctrine  according  to  the  acts  of  the  Synod  of 
Toledo    (1323),   pp.   342—346;    4.  Trattato    di    dottrine    cristiana, 


Religious  Instruction  from  1200  to  1517  73 

belonging  to   the  first   half  of  the    14.   century,   pp.   349—384;   5. 
Fundamentum   aeternae   felicitatis,   belonging  to   the   14.   oris! 
century,   pp.   388— 405.— Summary  of   Doctrine   of  the   Synod   of 
Lavaux  (1368),  German  in  Neues  Hedwigsblatt  (Breslau)    1875 
-Richard  of  Hampole  (f  1349),  Explanatio  orationis  dominicae 
et    symboh,    reprinted    in    Bibliotheca    Maxima    (Lugd)    26,    pp. 
619— 024.— Symbolum  et  omnium  credendorum  ad  salutem  spec- 
tantium  compendiosa  collectio;  printed  in  the  works  of  Gerson 
(Gersonii    opera    I,    pp.    233-422),    but    not    his    own;    compare 
Geffken,  p.  30.— Arnold  of  Villanova,  Alphabeticum  catholicorum 
belonging  to  the   13.  century  reprinted  in  Burger,  pp.    173—194. 
—Tabula  fidei  Christiana,  belonging  to  the  14.  century  ibid.  pp. 
194— 197.— Joannis  Gersonii  opera  omnia,  5  vols,  1706;  Compare 
J.   B.   Schwab,  Johann  Gerson,   1858.     De  parvulis   ad  Christum 
trahendis  ed.  by  N.  Puengel,  1853;  German  by  H.  Schuetze,  Aus- 
lese (see  literature  ch.  11),  No.   1,  1879;  another  German  trans- 
lation  with   a   good   introduction   by   F.   X.   Kunz   in   Bibliothek 
der   katholischen    Paedagogik,   vol.    15.     Opusculum   tripartitum 
de  praeceptis  decalogi,  de  confessione  et  de  arte  moriendi  (opera 
I,  pp.  425—450) ;  German  edition  by  Geiler  of  Kaisersberg  under 
the  title:     "Der  dreieckecht  Spiegel",  Strassburg  1510  and  1514- 
edited  in  modernized  form  by  B.  Hasack  in  "Herbstblumen  oder 
alte  ernste  Wahrheiten.    Zur  Illustration  des  christlichen  Volks- 
unterrichts in  der  vorreformatorischen  Zeit  (pp.  89—131),  1885". 
Finally  a  real  catechism  for  children  by  Gerson:     A  ß' C  des 
simples    gens,   printed    for   the    first    time   from   a    Paris   manu- 
script by  H.  Jadart  in:     Jean  de  Gerson,   1881   (pp.  252—253).— 
Symbolum  Apostolicum  oder  das  apostolische  Glaubensbekennt- 
nis   mit    beigelegtem    Text    der    Glaubensartikel.       12    Holz- 
schnitte in  Faksimile-Reproduction  nach  dem  einzigen  bis  jetzt 
bekannten   Exemplar   der   Hof-   und   Staatsbibliothek  zu   Muen- 
chen  (Stuttgart  s.  a.),  belonging  to  the  15th  century.     Compare 
Heidelberg    illustrated    manuscript    on    the    10    commandments, 
confession  and  the  7  mortal  sins  (Geffken,  supplements).— Tafel 
des  christlichen  Lebens,  from  the  end  of  the   15th  Century,  re- 
printed   by   Bahlmann,   pp.   61— 75.— Catechyzon,    of  John    Colet, 
reprinted  in:    J.  H.  Lupton.  A  Life  of  John  Colet,  1877,  pp.  286 
ff.;  also  by  Cohrs  IV,  pp.  421  ff.  and  by  Reu   (Kirchliche  Zeit- 
schrift)    1910.— Des.    Erasmus,    Institutum    hominis    Christiani, 
reprinted  by  Cohrs  IV,  pp.  421  ff.— Tritonius,  Enchiridion  (1513),' 


74  The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

compare  Cohrs  IV,  pp.  430  f. — Rostocker  Kinderlehre,  be- 
longing to  the  first  decades  of  the  15th  century,  reprinted,  by  K. 
E.  H.  Krause,  Program  der  grossen  Stadtschule  zu  Rostock, 
1873. — Dietrich  Koelde,  Spegel  des  cristene  mynschen  (1470), 
translated  into  High  German  by  Moufang,  Katholische  Kate- 
chismen, pp.  I — L. — On  other  popular  writings  containing  cate- 
chetical explanations,  as  f.  i.  "Der  Sele  Trost",  Stephanus  Lanz- 
kranna's  "Die  Hymelstrass",  "Das  Buch  der  10  Gebote",  "Spegel 
der  leyen"  etc.  compare  Bahlmamm  and  especially  Geffken. — 
Ulrich  Surgant,  Manuale  Curatorum,  Basel  1503;  especially  libri 
secundi  consideratio  quinta  (print  of  1506,  leaves  80 — 81)  pre- 
scribes the  forms  in  which  the  chief  parts  are  to  be  read  from 
the  pulpit  every  Sunday  (reprinted  in  part  by  Reu,  Religious 
Instruction  etc). — On  the  tabulae  catechismi  still  extant  compare 
Reu,  Der  Religionsunterricht  am  Vorabend  etc.;  also,  Pater- 
noster. Ave  Maria,  Glaubensbekenntnis  u.  die  10  Gebote  (Koeln 
Joh.  Koelhof,  about  1490);  another  single  leaf  print  (Low  Ger- 
man) :  J.  Halle,  Antiquariat,  Muenchen,  Katalog  XLVI  No. 
463  [price  $125.00!]. — Confessional  Booklets:  Muenzenberger, 
Das  Frankfurter  und  Magdeburger  Beichtbuechlein  und  das 
Buch  vom  sterbenden  Menschen,  1881. — F.  W.  Battenberg,  Das 
Beichtbuechlein  des  Magisters  Johann  Wolff,  1907. — F.  Falk, 
Drei  Beichtbuechlein  nach  den  10  Geboten  aus  der  Fruehzeit 
der  Buchdruckerkunst,  1907,  compare  also  the  rich  material 
given  by  Geffken,  supplements,  pp.  1 — 218. — Wiclif,  His  works, 
ed.  by  the  Wiclif  Society,  1883  ff. ;  Opera  minora  (1913):  5. 
De  Fide  Catholica,  15.  De  Oratione  Dominica,  16.  De  salutatione 
Angelica;  compare  J.  Loserth,  Wiclif,  RE  1908.  Also:  Writ- 
ings of  J.  Wiclif,  London  1831,  ed.  by  Religious  Tract  Society; 
Here  is  found  the  Pauper  msticus  or,  The  poor  Caitiff,  that  is, 
a  popular  explanation  of  the  customary  parts  of  the  catechism  : 
On  the  belief,  pp.  51 — 59;  On  the  ten  Commandments,  pp. 
60 — 86;  On  the  Lord's  Prayer,  pp.  86 — 96;  Compare  Geffken. 
supplements  pp.  214  ff. — John  Hus:  Since  1903  his  works  are 
being  edited  by  Flajshans.  Of  these  the  first  volume  contains 
the  Expositio  Decalogi.  Two  works  written  in  Bohemian  are 
of  special  importance :  1.  The  three-stranded  cord  of  faith, 
hope,  love,  to  which  every  Christian  should  cling  if  he  would 
gain  eternal  salvation,  1412.  (In  the  edition  of  his  works  in 
Bohemian  by  Erben  it  is  found  in  vol.  Ill,  pp.  152  ff.) ;  2.  Ex- 


Religious  Instruction  from  1200  to  1517  75 

planation  of  the  Creed,  the  ten  divine  commandments,  and  the 
Lord's  Prayer  (in  the  edition  by  Erben  vol.  I,  pp.  1—386).  Be- 
sides his  postil,  these  two  are  the  most  important  works  of 
Hus  in  Bohemian.  Like  all  his  works,  however,  these,  too,  are 
largely  based  upon  similar  writings  of  Wiclif.  Both  works 
were  translated  into  Low  German  and  published  by  Mag.  Nicho- 
las Rutze  (not  Rus)  of  Rostock  (died  about  1508).  The  first 
of  these  two  works  of  Hus  was  published  according  to  Rutze's 
text  in  1886  by  K.  Nerger  in :  Osterprogramm  des  Rostocker 
Gymnasiums.  J.  Mueller  proved  that  Rutze  merely  translated 
from  Hus;  compare  also.  Geffken,  supplements,  pp.  159  ff.-— 
Moravian  Catechisms:  Jos.  Mueller,  Die  deutschen  Katechis- 
men der  boehmischen  Brueder  (Monumenta  Germaniae  Pae- 
dagogica  vol.  IV.— Waldensian  Catechism,  reprinted  by  G.  v. 
Zezschwitz.  Die  Katechismen  der  Waldenser  und  Boehmischen 
Brueder,    1863;   compare   K.   Mueller,   Die  Waldenser.    1886. 

That  a  new  spirit  came  to  prevail  in  Germany, 
yea,  throughout  the  West,  after  the  crusades  and  as 
early  as  the  epoch  of  the  Hohenstaufen,  especially  dur- 
ing the  era  of  Frederic  II,  is  a  fact  of  common  know- 
ledge. Although  the.  Church  had  come  forth  from  the 
conflict  with  the  State  as  victor,  she  could  not  afford 
altogether  to  ignore  the  general  desire  for  culture.  Es- 
pecially in  view  of  the  fact  that  heretical  movements 
began  to  grow  both  in  number  and  in  power,  the  neces- 
sity made  itself  felt  to  readjust,  at  least  somewhat,  the 
religious  instruction  to  the  spirit  of  culture. 

The  institutions  of  Charlemagne  were  resolutely 
drawn  forth  from  oblivion  and  heroic  attempts  made  at 
their  resuscitation.  The  domestic  catechumenate  was 
the  first  object  to  be  restored.  For  this  reason  the  duty 
of  educating  their  wards  was  impressed  upon  both 
parents  and  sponsors.  Theodulph  of  Orleans  already 
(about  788),  in  his  book  "De  Ordine  Baptismi",  had 
correlated  the  "period  of  discernment"  with  the  instruc- 


76         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

tion  of  the  young.  Now  the  seventh  year  was  fixed  upon 
as  the  time  when  the  instruction  of  the  young  was  to 
begin  in  the  home.  Berthold  von  Regensburg,  for 
example  (died  1272),  says  in  one  of  his  sermons:  ''When 
the  child  has  attained  to  the  age  of  seven  years,  its 
sponsors  should  teach  it  the  Creed  and  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
— an  evident  duty  toward  the  child;  for  they  are  its 
spiritual  father  and  mother.  They  shall  say  to  its 
father  or  mother :  'Father,  mother,  you  shall  teach  my 
godchild  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Creed,  or  you  shall 
let  it  come  to  me.  so  that  I  may  do  it'.  If,  in  addition, 
they  should  know  the  Hail  Mary,  their  power  for  good 
will  be  so  much  greater".  Not  seldom  the  failure  to 
fulfil  this  duty  is  mentioned  at  the  confessional.  In 
the  thirteenth  and,  more  so,  the  fourteenth  century, 
there  arose  a  copious  ascetic  literature,  calculated  to  be 
a  factor  in  the  realization  of  a  domestic  catechumenate. 
"We  may  mention  as  cases  in  point  "La  Somme  le  Roi", 
by  Laurentius  Gallus,  1279 ;  "Eyn  speygel  des  christen 
gelouen",  by  Ludolph  von  Goettingen,  1472 ;  "Der  Seele 
Trost",  author  unknown,  before  1472;  "Die  Himmel- 
strass",  by  Stephan  Lanzkranna,  1484.  Especial  atten- 
tion to  the  instruction  of  the  young  is  given  in  a  tract  of 
the  thirteenth  century,  "Di  dottrina  cristiana",  in  the 
"Instructions  of  the  Synod  of  Toledo",  and,  especially, 
in  "The  opusculum  tripartitum  de  praeceptis  decalogi.  de 
confessione  et  de  arte  moriendi",  by  the  renowned  John 
Gerson,  about  1412.  All  these  writings  were  circulated 
in  numerous  copies  and  usually  published  in  various 
languages. 

Confirmation,  having  been  already  before  this  pe- 
riod largely  separated  from  Baptism  and  reserved  for 
the  bishop,  was  now  accounted  as  the  second  sacrament, 


Religious  Instruction  from  1200  to  1517  77 

for  the  first  time  probably  by  Hugo  of  Saint  Victor 
(died  1144)  and  generally  at  the  times  of  Eugene  IV, 
A.  D.  1439.  Performed  by  preference  not  before  the 
seventh  year  (Synod  of  Cologne,  1279;  Synod  of  Liege, 
1287),  we  have  no  means  of  knowing  to  what  extent  in- 
struction was  combined  with  the  same.  In  consequence 
of  the  injunction  of  the  fourth  Lateran  Synod  (1215) 
that  all  Christian  children  were  to  go  to  confession  at 
least  once  a  year  from  the  seventh  year,  the  communion 
for  children  having  gradually  fallen  into  disuse,  there 
is  no  doubt  that  the  Church  in  the  Confessional  had 
an  opportunity  to  control,  and  even  to  supplement 
domestic  instruction, — a  duty  that  was  often  im- 
pressed upon  the  priests.  The  questions  by  the  priest 
relative  to  the  Creed  and  the  Lord's  Prayer  customarily 
asked  on  this  occasion  as  well  as  at  baptism,  and  the 
answers  made  by  children  and  the  parents  and  spon- 
sors respectively,  were  in  the  course  of  time  given  the 
name  "catechismus".  While  this  word  retained  the  sig- 
nificance originally  connected  with  it —  that  of  oral -in- 
struction (ch.  1),  the  connotation  of  method,  that  of 
questions  and  answers,  was  now  added.  English,  French, 
and  German  Synods  also  required  that  the  clergy  should 
teach  the  young,  apart  from  confession,  the  Creed,  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  and  the  Hail  Mary,  which  latter  orison 
gains  constantly  increasing  vogue  since  the  thirteenth 
century  in  connection  with  the  growth  of  the  Virgin 
cult.  Not  only  were  parents  required  to  bring  their 
children  to  church  every  Sunday,  but  also  to  explain 
those  articles  to  them.  In  order  to  equip  them  for  that 
purpose,  special  manuals  were  published  for  the  clergy, 
both  popular  and  scientific (  e.  g.,  "Expositio  symboli 
apostolorum",  by  Thomas  Aquinas  (died  1274)  ;  "Specu- 


78         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

lum  ecclesiae",  by  Edmund  of  Canterbury,  1240;  "Fun- 
damentum  aeternae  felicitatis",  author  unknown,  about 
1425 ;  "Der  Spiegel  des  Suenders",  author  likewise  un- 
known, about  1470;  and  the  "Beichtbuechlein",  by  John 
Wolff,  1468.  Finally  it  was  enjoined  that  the  priests 
should  read  every  Sunday,  from  the  pulpit  or  the  ambo, 
the  principal  parts  of  instruction.  This  was  the  case, 
for  instance,  in  Torgau,  Basel,  and  Bamberg.  A  copy 
of  the  injunction  in  question  is  still  extant  in  the  widely 
circulated  "Manuale  curatorum"  of  Ulrich  Surgant  of 
Basel.  Moreover,  the  Creed,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the 
Decalogue,  and  other  parts,  written  or  printed  upon 
paper  or  cardboard,  were  hung  upon  the  walls  of 
churches,  schools,  and  hospitals,  in  order  to  spread  them 
among  the  people.  Parts  of  the  catechism,  especially 
the  Decalogue,  were,  toward  the  end  of  the  Middle  Ages, 
even  made  subjects  for  sermons. 

After  the  advent  of  Latin  schools  here  and  there  in 
the  cities,  that  is,  from  the  fourteenth  century,  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  the  Creed,  occasionally  also  the  "Gratias" 
and  the  "Confiteor",  more  rarely  the  Ten  Command- 
ments and  a  few  liturgical  formulas  and  hymns,  were 
made  parts  of  the  material  that  students  were  required 
to  commit  to  memory.  In  the  upper  classes  we  find 
these  features  even  in  Greek.  The  same  is  true  of  the 
convent  schools.  Naturally,  the  German  schools  for 
reading  and  writing,  which,  under  the  influence  of  the 
Hansa  and  of  the  Brethren  of  the  Common  Life,  were 
established  in  some  regions  even  in  villages,  did  not  per- 
mit such  branches  to  escape  them,  but  had  them  taught 
in  the  German  language.  Of  the  summaries  of  religious 
matter,  intended  for  Latin  schools,  the  "Catechyzon" 
of  John  Colet  of  London,  of  the  year   1510,  has  come 


Religious  Instruction  from  1200  to  1517  79 

down  to  our  times.  Written  expressly  for  the  instruction 
of  children,  especially  such  as  was  given  in  the  home,  but 
possibly  intended  also  for  schools,  the  "A.  B.  C.  des 
simples  Gens",  by  John  Gerson  (died  1429)  was  de- 
signed and,  likewise,  the  Low-German  "Tafel  des  christ- 
lichen Lebens" — Table  of  Christian  Life,  author  un- 
known. 

So  far  as  Bible  History  as  an  educational  agency  is 
concerned,  general  information  could  be  imparted 
to  the  people  and  the  young  especially  by  means  of 
mural  and  window  paintings,  sermons  on  the  Gospels, 
which  began  to  gain  greater  vogue  in  this  period,  and, 
in  general,  through  the  celebration  of  the  church  year, 
especially  also  by  means  of  the  widely  spread  "passio- 
nalia"  and  the  "Biblia  pauperum"  with  their  juxtaposi- 
tion of  Old  Testament  and  New  Testament  pictures  ac- 
companied by  brief  explanatory  words,  or  through  the 
"Speculum  humanae  salvationis"  and  similar  books  with 
biblical  pictures. 

However,  we  should  make  a  great  mistake  did  we 
conclude  from  the  facts  here  enumerated  that  the  Me- 
diaeval Church  did  justice  to  her  task  by  raising  the 
religious  instruction  of  the  young  to  a  high  level  of 
efficiency.  The  domestic  catechumenate  existed  by  right, 
but  in  its  workings  it  was  lamentably  deficient.  As  a 
case  in  point,  we  may  refer  to  the  fact  brought  out  by 
the  church  visitation  in  Saxony  of  1528  to  1529,  that 
great  numbers  of  adults  were  found  who  knew  neither 
the  Decalogue  nor  the  Lord's  Prayer,  not  even  the 
Creed.  How  should  these  instruct  their  children? 
While,  in  some  places,  the  parts  of  the  catechism  were 
read  by  the  priest  after  the  sermon,  this  duty  was  more 
frequently  neglected,  as  we  may  infer  from  the  custom 


80         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

of  the  synods  again  and  again  to  impress  upon  the 
priests  their  duty  in  the  premises.  The  language  of  the 
records  of  these  church  visitations,  in  this  respect,  is 
unmistakable.  Moreover,  such  reading  of  the  parts 
of  the  catechism  was  intended  primarily  not  as  instruc- 
tion for  the  young  but  for  their  elders.  While  the 
priest,  by  means  of  the  institute  of  auricular  confession, 
was  to  exercise  control  over  religious  instruction  as 
given  in  the  home  and  to  complement  it,  there  are  cer- 
tain facts  that  make  the  success  of  such  measure  appear 
exceedingly  dubious.  From  the  records  of  the  visita- 
tions we  learn  that  there  was  an  applicant  for  the  min- 
istry who  did  not  even  know  the  Ten  Commandments 
and  had  not  peeped  into  a  book  for  six  years.  While 
it  is  true  that  the  texts  of  the  catechism  were  made  by 
the  Latin  schools  a  part  of  their  curriculum,  this  was 
not  done  in  view  of  the  religious  instruction  therewith 
connected,  but  for  the  purpose  of  having  a  bridge  be- 
tween the  Latin  school,  in  wrhich  that  tongue  served  as 
medium  of  instruction,  and  the  German-speaking  home. 
The  achievements  of  these  institutions,  if  there  really 
were  any,  with  few  exceptions,  did  not  range  beyond  the 
mechanical  memorizing  of  the  verbal  text.  The  abun- 
dant explanations  of  the  catechism-material  and,  like- 
wise, the  biblical  picture  books  were  prevented 
both  by  their  cost  and  the  paucity  of  people 
able  to  read  from  ranging  beyond  a  very  narrow  sphere 
of  influence.  And  what  this  explanatory  literature 
offered  in  point  of  contents,  was,  a  few  genuine  pearls 
excepted,  by  no  means  evangelical,  but  grown  over 
with  legends  and  badly  permeated  by  antibiblical  ele- 
ments. In  order  to  render  the  confessional  examination 
easier,   the  parts   to  be  memorized  were   increased   far 


Religious  Instruction  from  1200  to  1517  81 

beyond  those  of  the  preceding  period.  The  Lord's 
Prayer,  the  Creed,  the  catalogue  of  mortal  sins,  and  the 
Hail  Mary,  were  augmented  by  the  addition  of 
the  seven  charisms,  the  seven  sacraments,  the  seven 
works  of  charity,  the  eight  beatitudes,  the  twelve  fruits 
of  the  Spirit,  the  Ten  Commandments  of  the  Lord,  the 
crying  sins,  the  alien  sins,  the  five  senses,  etc.  The  out- 
come of  this  multiplication  of  tasks  for  the  memory  was 
that  a  recollection  of  each  one  was  possible  only  through 
enumeration  by  the  rhyme  method.  In  proportion  as 
the  material  increased,  an  inner  appropriation  of  it  be- 
came impossible.  The  one  gratifying  feature  was  the 
final  incorporation  in  the  catechism  of  the  Decalogue, 
and  the  prominent  position  henceforth  assigned  to  it 
through  its  connection  with  the  institute  of  confession. 
"The  penitential  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist  was 
to  precede  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  through  the  Re- 
formation" (v.  Zezschwitz).  Since  control  of  education 
had  become  a  prerogative  of  the  confessor,  a  shifting  of 
the  educational  goal,  in  view  of  the  compulsory  char- 
acter of  confession,  was  inevitable.  Such  goal  was  no 
longer  the  maturity  and  independence  of  the  catechu- 
men, but  his  complete  mastery  through  the  priest  as 
mediator  between  God  and  men,  to  be  terminated  only 
at  death. 

Such  was  the  outcome,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  such  heretical  movements  as  those  of  the  older 
Waldenses,  of  the  Wiclifites,  of  the  Hussites,  of  the  Bo- 
hemian Brethren,  of  the  later  Waldenses,  together 
with  the  work  done  by  these  upon  the  people  and  its 
youth,  constituted  a  vigorous  admonition  to  the  Church 
better  to  fulfil  its  duty  in  regard  to  education.  As  means 
of  instructing  their  adolescent  youth,  the  older  Waldenses 


82  The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

made  use  of  the  Decalogue  and  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  toT 
gether  with  short  theses  upon  the  Trinity,  the  Church, 
the  Sacraments,  the  works  of  mercy.  Special  pains  were 
taken  to  acquaint  them  with  Scriptures,  for  which  reason 
the  young  were  required  to  memorize  among  other  things 
the  gospels  and  epistles.  Wiclif  never  wrote  anything 
of  a  juvenile  character,  although  it  is  not  likely  that 
tracts  written  by  him  for  the  home,  such  as  those  upon 
the  Symbol,  the  Decalogue,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer 
(found  in  the  so-called  "Pauper  rusticus" — Poor  Cai- 
tiff) were  bound  to  produce  a  strong  influence  upon  the 
domestic  catechumenate.  Nor  did  Hus  produce  writ- 
ings of  a  juvenile  character;  but  his  two  works,  which 
clearly  betray  his  leaning  upon  Wiclif :  "Three-strand- 
ed Cord,  Faith,  Love,  Hope",  and  his  "Expositio  sym- 
boli,  decalogi  et  dominicae  orationis"  were  used  in  the 
composition  of  the  first  Hussite  Catechism  (between 
1420  and  1436)  and  of  the  Raudnitz  Catechism  (con- 
temporary with  the  former),  which,  in  turn,  became  the 
source  for  the  first  Catechism  of  the  Moravian  Brethren 
in  Bohemian  and  German  (Bohemian  before  1502,  Ger- 
man 1522;  it  bears  the  title:  "Ein  christlich  Unterwei- 
sung und  Vorschrift  der  Jungen  im  Glauben",  or,  mere- 
ly, "Die  Kinderfragen"),  and  for  the  catechism  of  the 
Waldenses  in  Bohemia,  entitled,  "Las  Interrogacions 
menors" — The  Lesser  Questions.  Both  these  catechisms 
bear  the  mark  of  a  threefold  division — faith,  love,  hope 
— a  method  that  prevents  a  clear  discrimination  of  the 
material  therein  offered — the  Symbol,  the  Decalogue,  the 
beatitudes,  sacramental  administration,  etc.  Stress  is  laid 
upon  a  living  faith  in  distinction  from  one  dead.  It  is 
less  the  value  of  these  catechisms  than  the  fidelity  prac- 
ticed by  the  father  in  the  instruction  imparted  by  means 


Work  of  the  Reformatory  Church.  83 

of  them,  which  enabled  the  Bohemians  and  the  Wal- 
denses  to  excel  the  official  Church,  a  virtue  which  the 
latter  could  well  have  made  its  model. 

C.     RELIGIOUS    INSTRUCTION    AS    GIVEN    BY 
THE    CHURCH    DURING    THE   REFORMA- 
TION PERIOD. 

J.  W.  Hoefling,  2.  vol.— G.  v.  Zezschwitz  I  ch.  24—30; 
II  1,  ch.  12.  18.  25.  33.  34;  II  2*  ch.  14—19;  II  22  ch.  31—  47.— Th. 
Harnack,  pp.  66 — 105. — Schumann  and  Sperber,  Gesch.  d.  Re- 
ligionsunterrichts   i.    d.    ev.    Volksschule,    pp.    23 — 155,    1890. — 

E.  Sachsse,  pp.  186— 300.— E.  Chr.  Achelis,  pp.  303—332.  pp. 
383— 420— J.  Steinbeck,  pp.  26— 61.— Fr.  Ehrenfeuchter,  Zur 
Gesch.  d.  Katechismus.  1857.— H.  F.  Th.  L.  Ernesti,  Zur  Orien- 
tierung ueher  die  Katechismusliteratur.  1859. — H.  Heppe,  Ge- 
schichte d.  deutschen  Volksschulwesens,  5  vols,  1858 — 1860. — ■ 
K.  A.  Schmid,  Gesch.  d  Erziehung,  II  2  and  the  following  vol- 
umes, 1889  ff — K.  Hartfelder,  Ph.  Melanchthon  als  Praeceptor 
Germaniae,  1889. — Fr.  Paulsen,  Gesch.  d.  gelehrten  Unterrichts 
v.    Ausgang   d.    Mittelalters    bis    z.    Gegenwart,   2   vols,    21896. — 

F.  V.  N.  Painter,  Luttier  on  Education. — A.  F.  Leach,  English 
Schools  at  the  Reformation,  1896. — J.  W.  Richard,  Melanchthon. 
the  Protestant  Preceptor  of  Germany,  1898. — F.  Paulsen,  German 
Education,  1908. — F.  P.  Graves,  History  of  Education  during 
the  Middle  Ages  and  the  Transition  to  Modern  Times.  1910. 
— F.  W.  Graves,  History  of  Education  in  Modern  Times,  1913. — 
Compare  literature  in  chap.   13 — 15. 

13.      The    Work    of    the    Reformatory    Church    Until 
the  Appearance  of  Luther's  Catechisms,  1517 — 1529. 

G.  Langemack,  Historia  catechetica.  Teil  2  u.  3,  1733.  1740. — • 
J.  B.  Riederer,  Nachrichten  z.  Kirchen .  Gelehrten  und  Bue- 
chergeschichte,  1764 — 1768. — G.  Veesemeyer,  Literarisch-biblio- 
graphische Nachrichten  v.  einigen  ev.  Schriften  u.  Katechismen 
vor  u.  nach  Luthers  Katechismen  etc,  1830. — G.  v.  Zezschwitz, 
II  1,  cli.  36. — G.  v.  Zezschwitz,  Luthers  Kleiner  Katechismus,  s. 
Bedeutung  und  s.  Urgestalt,  1880.— G.  Buchwald,  Zur  Witten- 
berger   Stadt-    und    Universitaetsgeschichte    i.    d.    Reformations- 


84  The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

zeit.  1893.— G.  Buchwald,  Stadtschreiber  M.  Steph.  Roth  in 
Zwickau  (Archiv  f.  Gesch.  d.  •  deutschen  Buchhandels),  1893. — 
G.  Buchwald,  Die  Entstehung  der  Katechismen  Luthers,  1894. 
— M.  Reu,  Zur  Entstehungsgesch.  d.  kl.  Katech.  Luthers 
(Kirchl.  Zeitschrift),  1894.— G.  Rietschel,  Luthers  kl.  Katech. 
in  Tafelform  (Theol.  Studien  u.  Kritiken),  1898.— R.  Neumann, 
Der  evang.  Religionsunterricht  i.  Zeitalter  d.  Reformation, 
1899.— F.  Cohrs,  Katechismen  Luthers.  RE,  1901.— F.  Cohrs, 
Die  evangelischen  Katechismusversuche  vor  Luthers  Enchiri- 
dion. 5  vols,  1900— 1904.— M.  Reu,  Quellen  z.  Geschichte  d. 
kirchl.  Unterrichts  i.  ev.  Deutschland,  Teil  II  :  Der  biblische 
Unterricht.  1906. — O.  Albrecht,  Zur  Bibliographie  und  Text- 
kritik d.  kl.  Katech.  (Archiv  f.  Ref.  Gesch.),  1903— 1905.— E. 
Sehling,  Die  ev.  Kirchenordnungen  d.  16.  Jahrh.  1.  vol.,  1903. 
— O.  Albrecht,  Katechismusstudien  (Theol.  Studien  u.  Kritiken), 
1907.  1908.  1909.— Th.  Kolde,  Historische  Einleitung  i.  d.  Sym- 
bolischen Buecher  d.  luth.  Kirche.  1907.— M.  Reu,  Quellen  etc. 
3.  vol.,  1911.— F.  Cohrs,  Phil.  Melanchthon  in  s.  Bedeutung  f.  d. 
religioesen  Jugendunterricht  (Theol.  Studien  u.  Kritiken),  1912. 
— J.  Meyer,  Luthers  Kleiner  Katechismus  Der  deutsche  Text 
i.  s.  geschichtl.  Entwicklung,  1912. — A.  Hardeland,  Luthers  Ka- 
techismusgedanken in  ihrer  Entwicklung  bis  z.  Jahre  1529.  1913. 
— M.  Reu,  Religious  Instruction  during  the  16th  Century  (Luth. 
Church  Review),  1916.— Luther's  Works,  Critical  Edition,  1883 
ff. :  Decern  Praecepta  Wittenbergensi  praedicata  populo,  1518, 
vol.  1.  pp.  394  ff. ;  Kurze  Erklaerung  d.  zehn  Gebote.  1518,  vol. 
l,.pp.  247  ff.  Auslegung  deutsch  d.  Vaterunsers  fuer  d.  einfaelti- 
gen  Laien,  1519,  vol.  2.  pp.  74  ff.;  Eine  kurze  Form,  das  Pater- 
noster zu  verstehen  u.  zu  beten,  1519,  vol.  6,  pp.  9  ff. ;  Eine 
kurze  u.  gute  Auslegung  d.  Vaterunsers  fuer  sich  u.  hinter  sich, 
1519.  vol.  6,  pp.  20  ff.;  Eine  kurze  Form  d.  zehn  Gebote,  eine 
kurze  Form  d.  Glaubens,  eine  kurze  Form  d.  Vaterunsers,  1520, 
vol.  7.  pp.  194  ff.;  Das  Betbuechlein.  1522.  vol.  10.  pp.  331  ff.; 
An  die  Ratherren  aller  Staedte  deutschen  Landes,  dass  sie 
christl.  Schulen  aufrichten  und  erhalten  sollen,  1524,  vol.  15. 
pp.  9  ff. ;  Deutsche  Messe  u.  Ordnung  d.  Gottesdienstes,  1526, 
vol.  19.  pp.  53  ff.  Unterrichtung,  wie  man  moege  die  Kinder 
fuehren  zu  Gottes  Wort  u.  Dienst,  pp.  52.  61  f.;  Vermahnung 
u.  kurze  Deutung  d.  Vaterunsers,  pp.  52  f.;  Was  dem  gemeinen 
Volk  nach  der  Predigt  vorzulesen,  pp.  52.  62  f. ;  Die  Katechis- 


The  Work  of  the  Reformatory  Church  85 

muspredigten,  1528,  vol.  30,  1  pp.  1  ff. ;  Deutsch  Katechismus, 
1529,  vol.  30,  1  pp.  123  ff.;  Der  kleine  Katechismus,  1529,  vol.  30, 
1  pp.  239  ff.  Excellent  is  Albrecht's  Introduction  and  Bibliogra- 
phy of  the  two  Catechisms,  vol.  30,  1  pp.  426  ff. ;  Luther's  Pas- 
sionale,  1529,  vol.  10,  2  pp.  458  ff.  (reprinted  for  the  first  time 
in:  Reu,  Quellen  II,  pp.  32  ff.).— Luther's  Small  Catechism:  C. 
Moenckeberg,  Die  erste  Ausgabe  von  Luthers  kleinem  Kate- 
chismus in  niedersaechsischer  Uebersetzung  (1851),  1868. — K.  F. 
Th.  Schneider,  Dr.  M.  L.'s  kleinerKatechismus  nach  den  Ori- 
ginalausgaben kritisch  bearbeitet  (edition  of  1531),  1853. — Th. 
Harnack,  Der  kl.  Katech.  Luthers  in  seiner  Urgestalt  (Erfurt 
reprint  of  the  Wittenberg  original  edition,  1529;  Wittenberg 
enlarged  edition,  1529;  Wittenberg  edition,  1539),  1856.— H. 
Härtung,  Der  kleine  Kat.  L.'s,  (Erfurt  reprint  1529),  I860.— H. 
J.  R.  Calinich,  Dr.  M.  L.'s  kleiner  Katechismus  (Wittenberg 
print.  1542),  1883. — E.  Goepfert,  Woerterbuch  zum  kleinen  Kat. 
L.'s  (Wittenberg  edition,  1537),  1889.— A.  Ebeling,  Historisch- 
kritische Ausgabe  von  Luthers  kleinem  Katechismus,  1901. — 
K.  Knoke,  Ausgaben  des  Lutherschen  Enchiridions  bis  zu  Lu- 
thers Tod  und  Neudruck  der  Wittenberger  Ausgabe  von  1535, 
1903. — O.  Albrecht,  Luthers  kleiner  Katechismus  nach  der  Wit- 
tenberger Ausgabe  von  1540  (Jahrbuch  der  Akademie  der  Wis- 
senschaften in  Erfurt),  1904.— K.  Knoke,  M.  Luthers  kleiner 
Katechismus  nach  den  aeltesten  Ausgaben  in  hoch-,  nieder- 
deutscher und  lateinischer  Sprache  (6  different  editions  and 
translations,  f.  i.  Marburg  1529  and  Wittenberg  1543),  1904. — • 
O.  Albrecht,  Der  kleine  Kat.  L.'s  nach  der  Ausgabe  von  1536, 
1906.— Standard  Edition  by  O.  Albrecht  in  Luthers  Works,  Crit- 
ical Weimar  Edition,  vol.  30,  1,  1910. — J.  Meyer,  Luthers  grosser 
Katechismus.  Textausgabe  mit  Kennzeichnung  der  Predigt- 
grundlagen, 1914. — Catechisms  prior  to  Luther's  Catechism  are 
reprinted  by  Cohrs  and  Reu.— G.  Buchwald  and  O.  Albrecht, 
Bugenhagen  Katechismuspredigten  von  1525  und  1532,  1909. — 
Instruction  for  the  Visitors,  reprinted  in :  Sehling,  Kirchen- 
ordnungen des  16.  Jahrhunderts,  vol.  1,  1902.— Compare :  R. 
Vormbaum,  Die  Schulordnungen  des  16.  Jahrhunderts,  1860. — 
G.  Mertz,  Das  Schulwesen  der  deutschen  Reformation  im  16. 
Jahrhundert,  1902.— W.  H.  Frere  and  W.  H.  Kennedy,  Visita- 
tion Articles  and  Injunctions  of  the  Period  of  Reformation. 
1910.— Koestlin-Kawerau,  Martin  Luther,  2  vols,  5,   1903.— E.  P. 


86         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Enders,   Luthers    Briefwechsel,    1884   ff.— Smith-Jacobs,   Luther's 
Correspondence,  2  vols,   1913 — 1918. 

Profound  intelligence  in  regard  to  the  great  object 
of  religious  instruction  within  the  pale  of  the  Church, 
and  zeal,  never  excelled  since,  in  the  fulfilment  of  this 
task,  meet  our  eyes,  as  we  turn  our  attention  to  the 
Church  of  the  Reformation.  Here  a  sifting  of  the  edu- 
cational material  transmitted  by  the  Mediaeval  Church 
took  place ;  here  steps  were  taken  to  fix  the  aim  of  all 
education  imparted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Church; 
here  methods  of  instruction  underwent  a  decided  change 
for  the  better.  But  these  improvements  are  only  a 
small  part  of  the  progress  made  under  the  aegis  of  the 
Reformation.  The  evangelical  grasp  upon  the  inherited 
educational  material  and  the  biblical  interpretation  ac- 
corded to  it — these  constitute  the  main  achievement  of 
the  Church  of  the  Reformation  in  the  sphere  of  religious 
education.  As  in  every  other  respect,  so  also  here, 
Luther,  whose  Small  Catechism  is  the  fruit  of  intense 
pastoral  occupation  with  the  catechetical  material  at  his 
disposal,  won  highest  distinction. 

Following  the  example  of  other  preachers  toward 
the  end  of  the  Middle  Ages,  who  had  used  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments for  sermonic  material,  Luther,  in  the  pulpit 
of  the  Wittenberg  pastor  Simon  Heinz,  began  to  preach 
sermons  on  the  Ten  Commandments  as  early  as  the  sum- 
mer of  1516.  Having  finished  these  in  February,  1517, 
he  explained  in  the  subsequent  passion  season  the 
Lord's  Prayer  from  the  pulpit.  In  the  same  year,  for 
the  purpose  of  teaching  preparation  for  confession  and 
self-examination,  as  required  by  Saint  Paul,  he  wrote 
a  very  brief  exposition  of  the  Ten  Commandments.  It 
is  significant  that,  then  already,  he  begins  to  sift  the  edu- 


The  Work  of  the  Reformatory  Church  87 

cational  material  in  hand,  by  calling  attention  to  the 
fact  that  all  the  catalogues  of  virtues  and  vices  in  use 
during  the  Middle  Age  were  made  superfluous  by  rea- 
son of  being  contained  in  the  Ten  Commandments. 
Even  though,  in  a  form  of  confession,  he  still  enumer- 
ates the  sins  and  virtues  combated  or  inculcated  in  the 
Ten  Commandments,  he  already  then  calls  attention  to 
the  common  source, — all  sins  flowing  from  selfishness, 
and  all  virtues  from  the  love  of  God  and  the  neighbor. 
In  1518  he  published,  in  both  German  and  Latin,  his 
exposition  of  the  Ten  Commandments,  under  the  title : 
"Brief  Explanation  of  the  Ten  Commandments".  Be- 
ing intended  for  use  at  the  confessional,  its  purpose  sug- 
gested the  choice  of  charts,  or  tables,  rather  than  the 
form  of  a  book,  as  mode  of  publication.  Likewise  in  1518, 
he  published,  although  in  revised  form,  his  exposition 
of  the  Ten  Commandments  of  1516 — 1517,  under  the 
title  "Decern  praecepta  Wittenbergensi  praedicata  popu- 
lo",  whereas,  in  1519,  he  published  his  exposition  of 
the  Lord's  Prayer  of  1517  in  the  simple  form  required 
for  popular  edification,  giving  it  the  title:  "Exposition 
of  the  Lord's  Prayer  for  Simple  Laymen".  In  the  same 
year,  1519,  there  followed:  "A  Short  Form  to  Under- 
stand and  Pray  the  Lord's  Prayer",  and:  "A  Brief 
Exposition  of  the  Lord's  Prayer — its  Meaning  and  its 
Requirements".  Both  works  proceeded  from  practical 
labors,  in  that  Luther  had  explained  the  Decalogue  and 
the  Lord's  Prayer  to  boys  and  the  common  folk  of  an 
evening.  While  his  exposition  of  the  Decalogue  already 
had  received  the  high  praise  of  being  the  instrument  in 
his  hand  for  drawing  the  veil  from  Moses'  countenance, 
his  exposition  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  was  commended 
even    more    highly.      Beatus    Rhenanus    the    Humanist 


88         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

wrote  to  Zwingli  that  this  treatise  should  be  spread  all 
through  Switzerland,  in  all  cities  and  hamlets  and  vil- 
lages thereof,  yea,  in  every  house.  And  that  literary 
censor  of  Venice  said  concerning  Luther's  exposition : 
"Blessed  are  the  hands  which  wrote  this;  blessed  the 
eyes  that  shall  see  it;  blessed  the  hearts  that  believe  the 
book  and  cry  to  God  accordingly". 

In  1520  Luther  collected  the  results  of  his  previous 
catechetical  labors  and  added  a  new  feature,  in  that  he 
published  in  this  year  a  treatise,  intended  for  the  com- 
mon people,  and,  in  part,  again  composed  in  the  form 
of  a  confessional  mirror.  It  bore  the  title:  "A  Short 
Form  of  the  Ten  Commandments ;  a  Short  Form  of  the 
Creed ;  a  Short  Form  of  the  Lord's  Prayer".  The  exposi- 
tion of  the  Creed,  now  for  the  first  time  accorded  literary 
treatment  by  Luther,  is  a  rare  classical  model  of  im- 
pressive language  and  evangelical  grasp.  The  whole 
constitutes  an  important  landmark  in  Luther's  cate- 
chetical labors,  being  at  the  same  time  a  precursor  of 
the  Small  Catechism.  Especially  noteworthy  in  this 
connection  is  the  statement :  "Not  without  divine 
ordering  has  the  arrangement  been  made  that  the  ordi- 
nary Christian,  unable  to  read  the  Scriptures,  should  be 
taught  to  know  the  Ten  Commandments,  the  Creed,  and 
the  Lord's  Prayer — the  three  parts  in  which  all  the  es- 
sentials of  Christian  knowledge  are  comprehended". 
Thus  Luther  discarded  with  one  sweep  the  whole  mass 
of  auxiliary  mediaeval  material.  Equally  noteworthy 
is  the  selection  and  correlation  of  these  three  parts  as  a 
corollary  of  the  Gospel  way  of  salvation  (cf.  ch.  14)  ;  for 
in  the  few  cases  in  evidence  in  which  such  collocation 
is  previously  known  to  have  occurred,  it  is  traceable  to 
mere  accident.     Nor   dare  we  overlook   as  meritorious 


The  Work  of  the  Reformatory  Church  89 

feature  of  the  work  the  division  of  the  Creed  into  three 
articles  instead  of  the  twelve  traditional  parts.  That 
Luther  was  prompted  to  this  division  by  having  in  mind 
the  saving  acts  of  the  three  persons  of  the  divine  Trin- 
ity, is  stated  by  himself.  The  catechetical  means  of  in- 
struction which  made  their  appearance  in  the  next  de- 
cade largely  drew  upon  the  "Short  Form".  In  A.  D. 
1535  (the  first  edition  appeared  even  1534)  the  same 
treatise,  translated  into  English  as  part  of  the  Booklet 
of  Prayers  of  1522,  formed  the  first  evangelical  cate- 
chism of  England  (Marshall's  Primer). 

The  First  Article  is  explained  by  Luther  in  the  Short  Form 
as  follows :  "I  renounce  the  evil  spirit,  likewise  all  idolatry, 
all  sorcery  and  false  belief.  I  put  my  trust  in  no  man  on 
earth,  nor  in  myself, -my  strength,  skill,  property,  piety  or.  any- 
thing I  may  possess.  I  put  my  trust  in  no  creature  in  heaven 
or  on  earth.  I  will  put  it  altogether  in  the  only,  invisible,  in- 
comprehensible God,  who  has  created  heaven  and  earth ;  who, 
alone  of  all  beings,  is  above  every  creature.  On  the  other  hand, 
I  have  no  dread  of  all  the  malice  of  the  devil  and  his  ilk;  for 
my  God  is  above  them  all.  When  men  forsake  and  persecute 
me,  I  will  trust  in  God  nevertheless.  I  will  still  believe,  though 
I  be  poor,  dull,  unlearned,  despised  or  penniless.  Sinner  that 
I  am,  I  will  trust  nevertheless;  for  this  my  faith  shall  and  must 
soar  above  all  things — above  things  that  abide  and  things  that 
fail,  above  sin  and  above  virtue,  so  that,  true  and  pure,  it  may 
rest  in  God,  as  the  First  Commandment  requires.  I  desire 
no  sign  from  heaven  to  test  God.  Constant  my  trust  shall  be, 
no  matter  how  long  He  delay:  I  will  fix  for  Him  no  limit;  I 
will  assign  to  Him  no  season,  nor  bind  Him  to  measure  or 
method:  but  in  faith  free  and  true,  I  will  commit  everything 
to  His  divine  will.  Almighty,  what  gift,  what  helpful  deed 
should  He  withhold  from  me?  Since  He  is  creator  of  earth  and 
heaven,  who  should  rob  or  injure  me?  Yea,  how  could  any- 
thing fail  to  bless  and  serve  me,  as  long  as  He  is  favorable  to 
me  who  is  obeyed  and  served  by  all?  Being  God,  His  know- 
ledge and  power  are  equal  to  my  need.  Being  Father,  He  will 
gladly  supply  my  need.     Inasmuch  as  I  do  not  doubt  this,  and 


90         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

trust  Him  even  as  I  have  said,  I  am  surely  His  child,  servant, 
and  heir;  and  as  I  trust,  so  it  shall  be". 

Also  after  that  Luther  was  occupied  again  and 
again  with  catechetical  material.  The  Carlstadt  broils 
and  the  shock  thereby  dealt  to  the  Wittenberg  congrega- 
tion, may  have  induced  him  to  treat  it  from  the  pulpit 
even  more  frequently  than  formerly.  In  A.  D.  1522,  he 
preached  on  the  trilogy — Ten  Commandments,  Creed, 
Lord's  Prayer — .  also  on  the  Hail  Mary,  the  latter  es- 
pecially in  order  to  work  against  its  being  used  in  the 
interest  of  Mariolatry.  In  the  same  year  he  probably 
became  acquainted  with  the  German  translation  of  the 
"Questions  to  Children",  the  catechism  of  the  Bohe- 
mian Brethren  (cf.  ch.  12),  whose  form  of  alternate  an- 
swers and  questions  may  not  have  remained  without  ef- 
fect upon  his  later  catechetical  activity".  In  the  sum- 
mer of  the  same  year,  1522,  he  published  his  Short  Form 
of  1520  as  the  "Booklet  of  Prayers",  which  went 
through  many  editions  and  met  the  requirements  of 
school  and  home  as  a  catechetical  aid  much  better  than 
the  several  revised  editions  of  the  "Questions  to  Chil- 
dren'', although  not  intended  primarily  for  the  young. 
The  year  1523,  with  a  number  of  catechetical  sermons 
by  Luther,  witnesses  the  publication  of  the  so-called 
"Five  Questions  in  regard  to  the  Holy  Supper".  The 
latter  were  taken  from  a  sermon  of  Luther's  on  the 
Sacrament,  and  published  as  an  aid  to  preparation  for 
communicants,  in  view  of  the  practise  prevalent  since 
1523  to  ask  questions  in  regard  to  the  reasons  for  com- 
muning. It  is  likewise  due  to  Luther's  efforts  that 
Wittenberg,  in  1521,  received  a  regular  catechist  for  its 
youth  in  the  person  of  Agrikola. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1524.  the  Reformer, 


The  Work  oi  the  Reformatory  Church  91 

in  his  proclamation  "To  the  Councilors  of  all  Cities  in 
the  German  Empire  on  the  Establishment  and  Mainte- 
nance of  Christian  Schools",  exhorted  the  whole  land  in 
flaming  words  to  attend  to  the  Christian  education  of 
the  adolescent  youth.     He  said  therein:     "Everywhere 
people  know  what   is   to   be  done  in  regard   to  Turks, 
war,  and  water, — what  money  is  to  be  spent  on  muskets, 
roads,  and  dams.     A  great  amount  of  money  has  been 
wasted  on   indulgences,  masses,   pilgrimages,   etc.     Oh, 
that   but   a   part   of   all   this   might   be   spent   upon   the 
education  of  the  children!     If  one  guilder  is  given  for 
the  Turkish  war,  a  hundred  of  them  is  not  too  much  to 
educate  a  boy  for  true  Christian  manhood".     Whereas 
Luther  had  at  heart  primarily  the  welfare  of  the  Latin 
schools,  he  at  this  time  already  touched  upon  the  Chris- 
tian public  school,  at  least  in  the  cities,  in  that  he  re- 
quired two  hours'  instruction  a  day  as  minimum  for  the 
boys,   and  one  hour  as  minimum  for  the  girls.     More 
and  more  Luther  was  impressed  with  the  necessity  for 
the  publication  in  book  form  of  the  chief  parts  of  evan- 
gelical  Christianity,   in   other   words,   of   an   outline   of 
catechetical  instruction,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  train- 
ing and  examination  of  the  immature,  of  the  young  par- 
ticularly.    While  the  Booklet  of  Prayers  was,  here  and 
there,   used    for   such   purpose,    that   was    not   the   one 
which  had  prompted  its  publication.     Especially  in  his 
letters  to  his   friend  Nicholas  Hausmann,  who,  in  two 
opinions  on  the  Reformation,  in  1523  and  1525  respec- 
tively, had  stressed  the  duty  of  giving  the  young  faith- 
ful   religious    instruction,    he    dwelt   upon    this    subject. 
However,   being   very   much   occupied   with   matters   of 
another  kind,  he  commissioned  Justus  Jonas  and  Agri- 
kola   as   early   as   February    1525   with   the   preparation 


92         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

of  a  "catechismus  puerorum", — this  being  the  first  time 
that  the  word  catechism  was  applied  to  a  book.  But  the 
matter  came  to  nought,  so  that  Luther  formed  that 
very  year  the  decision  to  prepare  such  a  catechism  him- 
self, although  several  attempts  at  a  catechism,  by  other 
hands,  were  in  evidence.  Before  he  was  able  to  carry 
out  his  resolution,  however,  in  the  fall  of  1525,  there 
appeared  the  "Booklet  for  Laymen  and  Children", 
which,  composed  perhaps  by  Bugenhagen  and  in  that 
case  hardly  without  knowledge  of  Luther,  in  part  pre- 
sents former  expositions  of  the  Reformer  and  in  other 
respects  closely  adumbrates  his  thoughts.  This  book- 
let is  important  for  the  reason  that,  for  the  first  time, 
the  articles  of  Baptism  and  that  of  the  Holy  Supper  here 
appears  beside  the  old  chief  parts,  and  for  the  fur- 
ther reason  that  the  text  of  the  Catechism  is  largely 
worded  in  the  way  with  which  we  are  familiar,  some 
prayers  also  being  added  which  we  find  later  in  Luther's 
Small  Catechism. 

The  years  1526  brought  Luther's  famous  "German 
Mass",  upon  which,  far  and  wide  in  German  lands,  the 
divine  services  were  framed  as  model.  Especially  in 
regard  to  religious  instruction  it  fired  the  consciences. 
We  read  words  like  these :  "On,  in  the  name  of  God ! 
Plain,  simple,  clear  catechetical  instruction  is  the  first 
need  of  the  German  divine  service !"  As  to  the  contents 
of  it  the  trilogy  is  again  on  his  mind.  "I  do  not  know 
how  to  make  such  instruction  better  or  simpler,"  he 
says,  "than  to  leave  it  as  it  was  established  since  the 
beginning  of  the  Christian  Church  and  as  it  has  remain- 
ed ever  since,  namely,  to  teach  these  three  parts :  the 
Ten  Commandments,  the  Creed,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer." 
Apart  from  the  home,  where  the  father  is  to  teach  these 


The  Work  of  the  Reformatory  Church  93 

articles  diligently  to  his  children  and  servants,  such  in- 
struction is  to  be  part  and  parcel  of  the  service  at 
church.  Says  Luther :  "These  lessons  are  to  be  given 
from  the  pulpit  at  specific  times  or  daily,  according  to 
need ;  also  in  the  home  they  should  be  recited  or  read 
to  the  children  of  a  morning  and  evening".  In  addition 
he  requires  that  "on  Monday  and  Tuesday  at  the  matin 
service  a  German  lesson,  that  is,  a  catechetical  sermon, 
is  to  be  given,  whose  substance  is  to  be  drawn  from  ma- 
terial comprising  the  Ten  Commandments,  the  Creed, 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  Baptism,  and  the  Lord's  Supper, 
these  two  days  to  uphold  the  Catechism  and  to  estab- 
lish its  true  meaning".  Another  remarkable  feature  is 
the  energy  with  which  Luther  here  insists  upon  the 
introduction  to  the  understanding  of  the  text  of  the 
Catechism,  and  his  advice  to  use  illustrations  for  this 
purpose.  He  also  shows  by  giving  examples  how  this 
advice  should  be  put  into  practice,  thus  renewing  that 
important  pedagogical  principle  of  Chrysostom  and 
Augustine :  "Christ  when  He  came  to  train  men,  had  to 
become  a  man ;  if  we  are  to  train  children,  we  must  be- 
come children  with  them".  Herewith  a  new  educational 
aim  was  set.  At  the  same  time  he  makes  the  demand 
upon  parents  to  teach  their  children  Bible  passages  and 
to  unfold  to  the  little  ones  their  meaning.  Already  at 
this  time,  as  we  have  seen  above,  the  coming  of  the 
Fourth  and  the  Fifth  Chief  Parts  of  the  Catechism  is 
heralded,  not,  indeed,  as  catechetical  material  for  chil- 
dren but  for  sermons  upon  catechetical  subjects,  from 
1523  to  1528  it  was  the  Reformer's  practise  to  preach 
an  annual  sermon  upon  the  Holy  Supper,  and  between 
1526  and  1528  on  Baptism. 

Occasioned,  at  least  in  part,  by  Luther's  comments 


94  The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

in  the  German  Mass,  there  appeared  quite  a  series  of 
catechetical  text  books  for  the  youth.  Between  1522 
and  1529  about  thirty  such  attempts  at  a  catechism  were 
published,  of  which  some  received  many  editions.  The 
most  important  of  these,  besides  the  "Booklet  of 
Prayer"  and  the  "Booklet  for  the  Laity  and  Children", 
are  these  by  Capito,  Lachmann  or  Graeter,  Agrikola, 
Sam,  Althamer,  and  Brenz.  Althamer's  book  (1528) 
was  the  first  to  bear  the  name  catechism  in  its  title. 
That  of  Brenz  is  particularly  noteworthy  for  the  reason 
that  his  two  graded  sets  of  questions,  prepared  separate- 
ly for  younger  and  older  children,  starts  with  Baptism 
— a  feature  of  great  importance  for  later  times — and 
that  the  effort  is  made  by  him  to  unite  the  several  parts 
of  the  catechism  through  appropriate  intermediate 
questions  into  a  systematic  whole.  The  extent  of  Lu- 
ther's acquaintance  with  such  attempts  at  catechetical 
composition  and  of  the  value  he  put  upon  them  is  be- 
yond our  knowledge.  At  all  events,  he  did  not  feel 
prompted  by  them  to  abandon  the  thought  of  prepar- 
ing a  catechism  of  his  own. 

In  the  year  1527,  he  preached  once  more  on  the 
Ten  Commandments,  while  Melanchthon,  in  collabora- 
tion with  him,  composed  his  "Instructions  for  Visitors", 
which  appeared  in  book  form  in  1528.  Thereby,  what 
appliances  for  the  training  of  the  common  people  and 
the  young,  so  far,  had  been  introduced  by  individual 
communities,  were  extended  to  the  whole  of  Saxon  ter- 
ritory; and  made  accessible  even  to  the  villages,  of 
course,  as  far  as  circumstances  would  permit.  We  find 
the  injunction  promulgated  therein  that,  in  the  Church 
on  Sunday  afternoon,  the  Decalogue,  the  Creed,  and 
the  Lord's    Prayer,  subsequently  also  the  Sacrament  of 


The  Work  of  the  Reformatory  Church  95 

Baptism  and  that  of  the  Holy  Supper,  are  to  be  explain- 
ed to  the  servants  and  the  young,  every  catechetical 
sermon  to  be  followed  by  a  recitation  of  the  trilogy 
for  the  benefit  of  the  children  and  simple  folk.  Where 
day-schools  were  in  evidence,  however,  as  in  the  cities 
and  market  towns,  Saturday  or  Wednesday  was  to  be 
devoted  to  religious  instruction  altogether.  Here  also 
the  easier  psalms  were  to  be  committed  to  memory, 
while  the  several  parts  of  the  catechism  were  to  be 
explained  in  connection  with  pertinent  selections  from 
Biblical  History.  In  the  villages,  as  the  visitation  rec- 
ords witness,  the  verger  (Kuester),  if  no  one  else,  was 
held  to  instruct  the  children  in  the  Decalogue,  the  Creed, 
and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  likewise  in  the  more  important 
German  hymns.  The  knowledge  of  these  parts  had,  by 
this  time,  everywhere  become  a  condition  of  admission 
to  Holy  Communion.  The  establishment  of  village 
schools  in  which  these  requirements  could  be  exceeded, 
was,  for  the  present,  not  to  be  thought  of.  The  know- 
ledge of  the  parts  here  mentioned  as  requisite  to  Holy 
Communion  meant  that  the  conditions  were  ripe  for  a 
new  educational  goal — admission  to  Holy  Communion. 
In  conformity  with  the  injunction  of  the  "Instruc- 
tions for  Visitors"  and  with  the  newly  (by  Bugen- 
hagen?)  introduced  custom  of  Ember-day  catechetical 
sermons,  Luther  preached  in  1528  three  series  of  cate- 
chetical sermons,  in  May,  in  September,  and  after  per- 
sonally taking  part  in  the  visitation,  also  in  December. 
The  outcome  of  the  visitation  induced  him  to  delay  the 
publication  of  a  catechism  no  longer.  His  three  series 
of  catechetical  sermons  constituted  the  material  from 
which  he  intended  to  prepare  his  "catechismus  pro 
rudibns".     We  have  it   from  his  own  pen,  January   15 


96  The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

being  the  date,  that  he  was  engaged  in  the  preparation 
of  a  catechism,  and  on  the  twentieth  of  the  same  month 
the  expectation  was  expressed  that  it  would  soon  be  in 
the  hands  of  the  dealers.  There  is  no  doubt,  therefore, 
that  he  began  his  work  upon  it  about  the  end  of  1528  or 
the  beginning  of  1529.  But  during  the  preparation  of 
this  "catechismus  praedicatus  pro  rudibus  et  simplici- 
bus"  (for  the  crude  heathen,  the  uneducated  masses), 
that  is,  of  what  later  was  called  the  Large  Catechism, 
the  thought  evidently  forced 'itself  upon  him  that  such 
catechism  would  be  too  elaborate  for  the  "crude  hea- 
then". Quickly  the  resolution  was  formed  to  write,  in 
addition  to  the  ampler  catechism,  one  quite  short — 
"pro  pueris  et  familia".  This  work  or,  at  least  the  three 
first  parts  of  it,  was  printed  in  the  first  week  of  the 
year  1529  and  published  in  the  form  of  "tables".  We 
have  no  hesitation  to  fix  this  as  date  of  the  publication 
of  the  Small  Catechism ;  for  when  the  visitors,  of  whom 
Luther  was  one,  gave  to  the  town  of  Schoenewalde, 
near  Wittenberg,  a  church  constitution,  they  enjoined 
therein  as  duty  for  the  Sunday  afternoon  "first  to  recite 
for  the  people  the  Ten  Commandments,  the  Creed,  and 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  and,  after  that,  to  explain  these  in 
a  very  simple  manner,  as  shown  by  the  table  published". 
This  constitution  cannot  have  been  promulgated 
earlier  than  the  seventh  of  January  nor  later  than 
the  ninth.  On  the  twelfth,  Roerer,  the  Wittenberg 
proof-reader,  sent  these  "tabulae  catechismi"  to  Spalatin 
at  Altenburg;  according  to  a  letter  from  the  twentieth 
of  January  Roerer  had  tables  hanging  on  the  wall  of 
his  study  "complectentes  brevissime  simul  et  crasse 
catechismum  Lutheri  pro  pueris  et  familia";  on  the 
twelfth  of  February  he  announced  that  the  tables,  which 


The  Work  of  the  Reformatory  Church  97 

originally  had  been  sold  for  from  two  to  three  pennies, 
could  not  be  purchased  now  for  even  a  gold  guilder, 
the  whole  edition  being  exhausted.  Luther,  according- 
ly, conforming  to  a  practise  not  rare  in  the  later  Mid- 
dle Age,  and  already  observed  by  himself  on  previous 
occasions,  published  the  book  later  popularly  called 
''The  Small  Catechism",  not  in  book  form  but  in  that  of 
tables,  or  placards,  so  that,  fixed  upon  the  wall  in  the 
home  and  the  school,  they  might  be  seen  and  read  by 
all  at  all  times.  It  is  probable  that  now  already  the 
superscription  of  the  tables  was  addressed  "to  the  fath- 
ers, in  order  that  these  may  instruct  their  children 
and  servants  accordingly".  As  to  contents  the  tables  ap- 
pearing to  this  time  had  merely  what  Luther  had  al- 
ways, even  in  his  catechetical  sermons,  designated  as 
the  peculiar  doctrine  for  children,  namely,  the  texts  of 
the  Decalogue,  the  Creed,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  to- 
gether with  an  exposition  of  these  parts.  Not  until  the 
sixteenth  of  March — probably  in  consequence  of  Lu- 
ther's illness  and  the  pressure  of  other  urgent  work — 
the  "tabulae  confessionis",  together  with  the  "Litania 
germanica",  and  the  "tabulae  de  sacramentis  baptismatis 
et  sanguinis  Christi"  were  ready  for  transmission; 
that  is,  just  in  time  for  the  Easter  confession  and  com- 
munion, although  these  were  by  no  means  the  sole  occa- 
sion for  the  preparation  of  these  later  tables.  The  in- 
clination to  abuse  evangelical  freedom  by  showing  con- 
tempt for  the  sacraments  when  there  was  no  longer  any 
compulsion  to  go  'to  the  confessional,  could  not  escape 
Luther's  observation.  This  was,  no  doubt,  the  reason 
that  he  added  these  tables  to  the  others :  they  were  to 
promote  a  correct  understanding  of  the  sacrament,  and 
therebv.   at  the   same   time,   stimulate   the   desire   for  it 


98         The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

(compare  Luther's  later  preface  to  the  Small  Catechism). 
Probably  about  the  same  time  were  published  the  two 
tables  containing  the  morning  and  the  evening  prayers, 
a  copy  of  one  of  which  only  has  been  passed  down  to 
us,  namely,  one  printed  in  1529  in  Low-German,  with 
Wittenberg  as  place  of  publication.  At  what  time  the 
last  table,  that  containing  the  domestic  duties  (Haus- 
tafel), appeared,  we  do  not  know.  All  of  these  tables, 
as  far  as  he  knew  them,  Bugenhagen,  occupied  at  the 
time  with  the  regulation  of  church  and  school  affairs  in 
Hamburg,  was  the  first  to  unite  in  the  form  of  a  book — 
a  low-German  translation  with  a  Hamburg  imprima- 
tur. It  contained  the  so-called  five  chief  parts,  and,  in 
addition,  the  "Benedicite"  and  "Gratias". 

So  far  as  Luther  is  concerned,  he  issued  first  what 
was  later  called  "The  Large  Catechism".  The  comple- 
tion of  this  book  had  been  delayed  longer  than  was  orig- 
inally expected ;  however,  it  was  ready  for  transmission 
by  April  twenty-third.  The  simple  title  it  bore  was : 
"Deudsch  Catechismus.  Martin  Luther",  thus  becom- 
ing a  companion  volume  for  the  "German  Mass"  of 
1526.  There  was  no  occasion  for  Luther  to  designate 
his  new  book  as  the  "Large  Catechism",  for  the  reason 
that  what  was  later  called  the  "Small  Catechism",  exist- 
ed at  that  time  only  in  the  form  of  tables,  its  publication 
in  book  form  being  reserved  for  a  later  date.  The 
Low-German  translation  above  mentioned,  even  though 
it  was  known  to  Iuther,  had  been  given  the  simple  title 
"Eyn  Catechismus  effte  underricht,  etc".  Not  until  Lu- 
ther himself  had  issued  the  substance  of  the  tables  in 
book  form,  did  the  new  title,  "Large  Catechism",  grad- 
ually replace  the  original  one — "Deudsch  Catechismus". 


The  Work  of  the   Reformatory  Church  99 

This  "German  Catechism"  contained  1.  The  texts  of  the 
Ten  Commandments,  the  Creed,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  as  of 
"the  most  important  parts,  to  be  recited  verhatim" ;  2.  The 
words  of  institution  of  Baptism  and  of  the  Holy  Supper,  to- 
gether with  the  preliminary  remark :  "After  those  three  parts 
shall  have  heen  comprehended,  it  behooves  one  to  be  ac- 
quainted with  our  Sacraments";  3.  The  detailed  exposition  of 
those  texts,  the  latter  themselves  being  inserted  once  more, 
just  ahead  of  the  explanation.  The  whole  was  introduced  by 
a  preface,  in  which  fathers  were  reminded  of  their  particular 
duties.  In  the  same  year  there  appeared  a  second  edition, 
augmented  by  a  confessional  exhortation  (cf.  Mueller,  Sym- 
bolic Books,  p.  773  ff.)  and  an  amplification  of  the  exposition 
of  the  Lord's  Prayer.  The  year  1530  saw  a  third  edition,  aug- 
mented by  a  second,  rather  lengthy,  preface  (H.  E.  Jacobs, 
Book  of  Concord  I  p.  383  ff.),  in  which  Luther,  among  other 
comments,  furnishes  a  justification  of  catechism  study  in  the 
well-known  words :  "I,  too,  am  a  doctor,  etc."  (Jacobs  I  p. 
384).     From  that  time  its  compass  has   remained  the  same. 

Having  grown  forth  from  the  catechetical  sermons 
of  Luther,  the  "German  Catechism"  offered  fine  models 
for  such  sermons,  especially  to  the  pastors.  Not  seldom 
it  was  read  in  the  place  of  original  sermons,  forming 
even  today  the  best  commentary  for  Luther's  Small  Cat- 
echism. 

After  issuing  the  Large,  or  German,  Catechism, 
Luther  arranged  for  the  issue  in  book  form  of  the  edu- 
cational material  before  published  in  the  form  of  tables. 
The  issue  was  completed  as  early  as  the  sixteenth  of 
May,  and  on  the  thirteenth  of  June  an  "enlarged  and  re- 
vised edition"  (the  second  (?)  or  third  Wittenberg  edi- 
tion) is  mentioned.  While  the  former,  the  original  Wit- 
tenberg edition,  is  no  longer  extant,  its  contents  (or  that 
of  the  second  Wittenberg  edition,  likewise  extinct)  has 
been  transmitted  to  us  in  the  form  of  one  Marburg  and 
two  Erfurt  reprints.     It  had  the  title:     "The  Small  Cat- 


100       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

echism  for  ordinary  Pastors  and  Preachers.  Martin 
Luther.  Wittemberg".  As  is  readily  seen,  it  is  dis- 
tinguished from  the  previously  issued  tables  by  the  ded- 
ication upon  the  title  page.  Whereas  the  latter,  by  vir- 
tue of  their  superscriptions,  had  been  primarily  addres- 
sed to  men  of  family,  the  booklet  is  now  dedicated  to 
pastors  and  preachers,  although  those  superscriptions 
at  the  head  of  the  several  parts  had  not  been  elimi- 
nated. The  reason  prompting  the  dedication  of  the 
booklet  to  the  pastors  was,  no  doubt,  Luther's  conver- 
sance with  the  low  state  of  erudition  on  the  part  of  large 
numbers  in  the  ministry,  and  the  great  need  thus  aris- 
ing- of  a  definite  form  upon  which  to  base  the  instruction 
of  the  people  and  their  youth. 

The  contents  of  the  original  edition  (May  16,  1529)  was 
evidently  as  follows:  1.  Preface  to  pastors  and  preachers; 
2.  Text  and  exposition  of  the  five  chief  parts,  lacking,  however, 
probably  in  consequence  of  a  misprint  in  the  original  Witten- 
berg edition,  the  third  question  in  the  part  pertaining  to  the 
Holy  Supper;  3.  Morning  and  Evening  Prayer,  Benedicite  and 
Gratias  ;  4.  A  selection  of  appropriate  passages  for  holy  offices 
and  states ;  5.  The  Marriage  Booklet.  Confession,  so  far,  had 
received  no  attention  whatever,  while  the  Lord's  Prayer  lacked 
the  introduction  and  its  explanation;  it  began  imme- 
diately with  the  first  petition. — The  third  (second?)  Wit- 
tenberg edition  (June  13,  1529)  is  designated  as  "enlarged 
and  revised",  bearing  the  word  "Enchiridion"  upon  its  title  page. 
The  enlargement  consists  of  the  following  additions  :  1.  The 
third  question  in  the  part  pertaining  to  the  Holy  Supper,  above 
mentioned;  2.  The  Baptismal  Booklet  in  the  form  of  1526;  3. 
After  this.  "A  Brief  Form  of  Confession  before  the  Pastor,  for 
the  Simple"  (not  identical  with  the  matter  bearing  on  confes- 
sion, which  was  received  later)  ;  4.  The  German  Litany  with 
music  and  three  concluding  collects.  This  is  the  first  edition 
which,  although  poorly  preserved,  has  been  transmitted  to  us 
in  the  original  Wittenberg  form.  By  the  addition  of  the  "Bap- 
tismal Booklet",  of  the  matter  bearing  on  confession,  and  of  the 


The  Work  of  the   Reformatory  Church  101 

litany,  the  little  hook  had  grown  to  the  size  of  a  pastoral  man- 
ual, a  fact  perhaps  expressed  by  the  addition  of  the  word 
"Enchiridion"  upon  the  title  page.  However,  as  we  may  see 
from  the  preface,  the  additions  had  not  taken  place  solely  in 
the  interest  of  the  pastors,  since  they  were  meant  to  bring 
about  an  intelligent  interest  in  the  acts  outlined  and,  likewise, 
an  intelligent  participation  in  them.  For  this  reason  the  Cate- 
chism was  frequently  taken  along  to  church  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  as  our  hymnal  is  taken  today,  a  practise  which  ex- 
plains the  addition  of  still  other  material,  for  instance,  of  the 
111th  psalm,  which  was  sung  in  connection  with  the  Sacrament, 
the  Tedeum,  and  the  Prayer  against  the  Turks  (r=Lord  keep 
us  steadfast  in  Thy  word,  etc.).  The  thought  of  an  introduction 
into  the  liturgic  acts  as  an  integral  element  in  the  education  of 
the  people  and  the  young,  is  thus  presaged  (comp.  ch.  11,  p.  67). 
This  edition  of  1529  (whether  it  applies  to  the  first  and  second 
we  do  not  know)  was  also  embellished  with  biblical  pictures 
corresponding  to  the  contents  of  the  several  parts  of  the  Cate- 
chism, wherewith  welcome  illustrative  material  was  furnished. 
The   edition   of   1531,   finally,   brought   the   following  extension : 

1.  The  introduction   in  the  Lord's   Prayer  and  its   explanation; 

2.  Between  the  fourth  chief  part  and  the  fifth,  the  doctrinal 
discourse :  "How  the  Simple  should  be  Taught  to  Confess" 
(i.  e.,  the  three  questions:  1.  What  is  Confession?  2.  What 
sins  are  to  be  Confessed?  3.  Which  are  they?  and  the  section 
entitled:  "Pray,  Give  me  a  Brief  Form  of  Confession."). 
This  material  served  as  substitute  for  the  paragraph  on  Con- 
fession found  in  the  third  edition  immediately  after  the  Bap- 
tismal Booklet.  Therewith  the  Enchiridion  had  attained  its 
final  form,  which,  in  all  essential  respects,  it  was  henceforth 
to  retain.  The  few  changes  made  subsequently,  some  of  which, 
in  turn,  were  dropped  again,  related  especially  to 
alterations  of  the  biblical  texts  worked  into  the  Catechism,  in 
order  to  bring  them  into  harmony  with  Luther's  translation  of 
the  Bible,  whereas  Luther  had  merely  accommodated  himself 
to  the  rendering  that  had  gained  or  was  gaining  favor  in  Wit- 
tenberg (for  instance,  in  connection  with  the  First  or  the  Third 
Commandment).  However,  consistency  was  not  observed. 
Thus,  in  1536,  we  find  the  word  "missbrauchen",  which,  in 
1540,  is  made  to  give  way  to  "unnuetzlich  fuehren";  in  the  year 


102        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

1540  the  promise  is  added  to  the  Fourth  Commandment;  the 
Table  of  Domestic  Duties  is  enlarged  in  1540  and  again  in 
1542;  on  the  other  hand,  no  Wittenberg  print  of  Luther's  time 
contains  the  word  "geluesten"  in  the  Ninth  and  the  Tenth 
Commandment,  nor  the  threat  in  connection  with  the  Second 
Commandment.  These  and  similar  alterations,  as,  for  in- 
stance, the  addition  of  the  introduction  to  the  Ten  Command- 
ments (I  am  the  Lord  thy  God),  are  to  be  traced  back  to  the 
Catechism  text  of  the  influential  Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Chil- 
dren, of  the  year  1533.  To  what  extent  Luther  took  part  in  the 
alterations  after  1531,  or  whether  they  are  to  be  credited  to 
the  type-setter  and  the  pjoof-reader,  it  is  too  late  to  determine. 
At  all  events,  the  Eisenach  Conference  was  ill  advised  when  the 
edition  of  1542  was  made  the  basis  for  its  uniform  text  of  the 
Small  Catechism. 

From  what  has  been  stated,  it  is  readily  inferred  that  the 
material  appearing  now  as  the  fifth  now  as  the  sixth  chief  part, 
under  the  heading :  "Of  the  Office  of  the  Keys  and  Confession", 
belong  only  in  part,  and  that  only  since  1531,  to  the  catechism 
issued  by  Luther.  While  the  paragraph  on  Confession  is  in- 
deed Luther's  product,  that  on  the  Office  of  the  Keys,  is  traced 
back  to  two  other  sources.  The  passage  John  20,  22 — 23,  to- 
gether with  the  words  of  explanation :  "I  believe  when  the 
called  servant  of  the  Lord,  etc."  has  its  source  in  the  Nurem- 
berg Catechetical  Sermons  already  mentioned,  composed  by 
Osiander  and  Schleupner  (not  Brenz  or  even  Veit  Dietrich!), 
and  appended  to  the  Nuremberg  Church' Order  of  1533.  As  the 
other  Catechetical  Sermons  therein  regularly  conclude  with  a 
recapitulation  in  the  words  of  Luther's  Catechism,  the  sermon 
on  the  Office  of  the  Keys,  placed  between  Baptism  and  Holy 
Communion,  is  recapitulated  in  the  words  above  referred  to, 
which  accounts  for  their  appearing  as  part  and  parcel  of  the 
Catechism.  With  the  widely  circulating  Sermons  for  Children 
also  these  elements  found  circulation  and  admission  to  the 
catechisms.  The  other  question  :  "What  is  the  Office  of  the 
Keys?"  with  the  answer:  "It  is  the  Peculiar  Church  Power, 
etc."  is  found  in  such  words  for  the  first  time  in  an  edition  of 
Luther's  Catechism  for  Saxony-Altenburg  of  the  year  1584  or 
1582  respectively;  while  the  substance  itself  is  found  already 
before  1550  in  private  compositions  of  a  catechetical  character. 


The  Work  of  the  Reformatory  Church  103 

in  Pomerania,  especially  by  the  endeavors  of  Knipstrow,  since 
1554. — For  the  so-called  "Questions  and  Answers  for  Prospec- 
tive Communicants" — so  frequently  appended  to  Luther's  Cate- 
chism and  even  (since  1549)  designated  as  his  product,  we 
cannot  claim  the  authorship  of  the  great  Reformer;  they  are 
in  all  probability  the  work  of  Luther's  Erfurt  friend  John 
Lange. — As  soon  as  Luther's  Catechisms  had  been  issued,  they 
were  rendered  into  Latin.  The  Large  Catechism  was  trans- 
lated first  by  John  Lonicer,  of  Marburg,  subsequently  by  Ob- 
sopoeus,  of  Ansbach.  The  Small  Catechism  was  rendered  into 
Latin  by  an  unknown  author  for  the  Latin  edition  of  the  above 
mentioned  Booklet  of  Prayer  (1529).  A  change  was  made  in 
this  edition  in  regard  to  form,  in  that  the  method  of  questions 
and  answers,  peculiar  to  the  Catechism  from  the  beginning,  was 
abrogated.  Probably  because  Luther  was  not  satisfied,  John 
Sauermann,  by  authority  and  with  the  advice  of  the  Reformer, 
prepared  a,  new  Latin  translation.  As  indicated  by  its  title 
(Parvus  catechismus  pro  pueris  in  schola),  it  was  intended 
for  use  in  schools,  for  which  reason  we  come  everywhere  upon 
the  pedagogue  instead  of  the  father.  This  work,  since  its  first 
issue  in  1529,  has  gone  through  a  large  number  of  editions,  and 
deserves  to  be  consulted  even  today. 

Although  the  year  1529,  in  consequence  of  the  pub- 
lication of  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  to  the  importance 
of  which  we  shall  devote  a  special  chapter  (ch.  14), 
represents  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  religious  instruc- 
tion within  the  pale  of  the  Church,  the  significance  of 
this  year  for  the  discipline  of  catechetical  instruction  is 
therewith  by  no  means  exhausted.  The  same  year, 
likewise  by  the  hand  of  Luther,  has  given  us  a  booklet 
that  might  be  called  the  first  Biblical  History  for  the 
Christian  home.  We  refer  to  Luther's  "Passionale". 
Repeatedly  Luther  and  Melanchthon  had  stressed  the 
momentous  importance  of  the  study  of  history,  and  of 
sacred  history  particularly,  for  the  education  of  the 
young.  Otto  Braunfels,  of  Strassburg,  in  his  "Book  of 
Heroes",  already  had  arranged  a  group  of  biblical  he- 


104        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

roes  and  villains,  and  made  the  attempt  to  give  instruc- 
tion in  Biblical  History  in  his  Latin  School.  At  last 
Luther,  consciously  or  unconsciously  following  the  cue 
given  by  Melanchthon,  inserted  in  his  Catechism  pic- 
tures taken  from  Biblical  History,  and  advised  in  the 
preface  to  adduce  many  examples  from  Biblical  His- 
tory, for  the  reason  that  God  ever  blessed  the  godly  and 
punished  the  wicked.  But  when  he  issued  a  new  edition 
of  his  Prayer  Booklet  in  1529,  he  added  to  it  his  "Pas 
sionale";  that  is.  a  booklet  composed  of  forty-nine  bib- 
lical pictures,  with  texts  corresponding.  In  making  his 
selection,  he  followed  mediaeval  precedent,  adding  other 
pictures  and  texts  of  his  own  choice.  While  these  were 
primarily  intended  for  the  Christian  home,  edification  of 
the  Christian  youth  was  the  special  aim.  Of  these  pic- 
tures, eleven  were  taken  from  the  Old,  and  thirty-eight 
from  the  New  Testament,  no  fewer  than  fifteen  of  the 
latter,  thus  suggesting  the  name  of  the  book,  illustra- 
ting phases  of  the  passion  history.  While  it  is  true 
that  Luther  put  to  use  material  that  had  come  ready  for 
his  hand,  he,  notwithstanding,  blazed  the  way  as  pio- 
neer :  for,  in  the  first  place,  he  offers  only  biblical  pic- 
tures, expunging  all  those  of  a  legendary  character ;  in 
the  second  place,  he  augmented  the  number  of  the  pic- 
tures and  arranged  them  always  parallel  with  the  nar- 
rative ;  in  the  third  place,  carefully  discriminating,  he 
added  portions  of  the  sacred  story.  While  these  do  not 
constitute  complete  Bible  stories,  they  contain  the  most 
important  parts  of  them,  widening,  in  the  portions  be- 
longing to  the  passion  history,  to  the  compass  of  a  con- 
tinual narrative.  In  the  preface  the  Reformer  says  clear- 
ly that  he  had  grouped  the  pictures  and  supplied  them 
with  biblical  texts,  "chiefly  for  the  sake  of  the  children 


The  Work  of  the  Reformatory  Church  105 

and  the  simple  folk,  who  are  better  enabled  by  picture 
and  parable  to  remember  the  divine  history".  Although 
this  cast  was  not  quite  the  success  attained  by  the 
Small  Catechism,  it  is  true  that,  also  here,  he  blazed  the 
right  path,  thus  deserving  the  honorary  title  of  a  "father 
of  instruction  in  Biblical  History".  While  this  booklet 
had  been  all  but  forgotten,  being  known  merely  in  name, 
it  has  been  reprinted  for  the  first  time  in  a  work  of  the 
author — "Quellen  zur  Geschichte  des  kirchlichen  Unter- 
richts im  evangelischen  Deutschland  zwischen  1530  und 
1600".  As  proof  for  the  wide  circulation  of  this  booklet 
evidence  is  here  furnished  of  about  thirty  editions,  is- 
sued between  1529  and  1600. 

14.      The    Significance    of    Luther's    Small    Catechism. 

G,  v.  Zezschwitz  II,  1  ch.  37 — 40.— G.  v.  Zezschwitz,  Luthers 
Kleiner  Katechismus.  Seine  Bedeutung  u.  s.  Urgestalt,  1881. — 
J.  Gottschick,  Luther  als  Katechet,  1883.— K.  Knoke,  Ueber  Ka- 
techismusunterricht, 1886. — G.  v.  Rohdeji,  Ein  Wort  z.  Kate- 
chismusfrage. 21890. — G.  v.  Rohden,  Ueber  christozentrische  Be- 
handlung des  luth.  Katechismus,  1891. — Th.  Kaftan,  Auslegung 
d.  luth.  Katechismus,  1892  (ö1913).— Th.  Hardeland,  Die  kate- 
chetische Behandlung  des  Kleinen  Katechismus  Luthers  im 
Geist  s.  Verfassers  etc.,  1899. — F.  Cohrs,  Katechismusversuche 
vor  Luthers  Enchiridion.  1900  ff. — Koestlin-Kawerau,  Martin 
Luther.  Sein  Leben  u.  s.  Schriften,  1903. — H.  Huebner,  Was  d. 
Kleine  Katechismus  fuer  ein  grosser  Schatz  ist,  1904. — M.  Reu, 
Die  Eigenart  des  Katechismus  Luthers  u.  s.  katech.  Behandlung 
(Kirchliche  Zeitschrift),  1906.— J.  Gillhoff,  Zur  Sprache  u. 
Geschichte  des  Kleinen  Katechismus,  1909. — F.  Rendtorff,  Das 
Problem  der  Konfirmation  u.  der  Religionsunterricht  i.  d.  Volks- 
schule, 1910. — O.  Albrecht,  Luthers  Katechismen,  Critical  Wei- 
mar Edition  of  Luther's  Works,  vol.  30,  pp.  635  ff.,  1910. — 
M.  Reu,  Die  grosse  Bedeutung  des  Kleinen  Katech.  Luthers, 
1913. 

A  work  of  greatest  possible  moment  had  been  ere- 


106        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

ated  in  the  form  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism.  Its  great 
significance  is  found,  first  of  all,  in  the  fact  that  this 
book  represents  the  conclusion  of  almost  the  whole  past 
development  in  the  sphere  of  religious  instruction  with- 
in the  pale  of  the  Church.  Whatever  educational  mate- 
rial the  Church  had  evolved  from  the  beginning  as 
necessary  to  her  ends,  has  here  been  summed  up  in  a 
handy  and  convenient  manner,  although,  of  course,  not 
every  tendency  could  be  fully  realized.  Whereas  the 
mass  of  mediaeval  auxiliary  material  has  been  elimi- 
nated, the  Decalogue,  never  in  general  use  as  educational 
material  until  the  Middle  Ages,  has  been  rightly  re- 
tained. Luther  was  well  aware  of  his  intimate  relation 
to  the  catechetical  development  of  the  past  (compare 
his  preface  to  the  Short  Form  of  1520), — an  attitude 
no  doubt  grounded  in  his  conservatism  and  historic 
sense.  The  fact  of  Luther's  adjusting  himself  to  the 
previous  work  of  the  Church  is  evidenced  not  only  by 
the  adoption  of  the  doctrinal  parts  which  he  found  in 
vogue,  such  as  the  Decalogue,  the  Creed,  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  and  the  words  of  institution  of  Baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper,  and,  in  part,  also  the  appended  prayers ; 
but  even  down  to  such  features  as  the  wording  of  the 
catechetical  texts  and,  in  the  Third  Chief  Part,  even  to 
the  explanation  itself,  such  adjustment  of  his  is  percep- 
tible. 

Thus  Luther  adopted  the  traditional  enumeration  of  the 
Ten  Commandments,  keeping  the  Ninth  and  the  Tenth  Com- 
mandments separate  and  omitting  the  prohibition  of  images, 
an  arrangement  that  had  gained  gradual  vogue  since  the  days 
of  Augustine  and  exclusive  vogue  since  the  end  of  the  Middle 
Ages.  Likewise  he  retained  the  First  and  the  Second  Com- 
mandments in  the  abbreviated  form  peculiar  to  the  end  of 
the    Middle   Ages,    merely    wording    them    as    follows :      "Thou 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  107 

shalt  have  no  other  gods" ;  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of 
the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain".  Nor  did  he  formulate  the  Third 
Commandment  anew,  as  is  often  maintained,  when  he  used  the 
form  :  "Thou  shalt  sanctify  the  holy  day".  He  rather  adopted 
the  form  found  extant,  so  that  the  reformatory  innovation  is 
not  found  in  a  change  of  form  but  in  the  explanation.  When, 
in  the  First  Article,  Luther  left  the  old  form,  "Vater  allmaech- 
tiger"  unchanged,  the  reason  is  the  grammatical  rule  of  the 
Middle  High  German  language,  according  to  which  the  attri- 
butive adjective  was  made  to  follow  its*  noun,  irrespec- 
tive of  the  fact  that,  in  his  day,  the  form  "Allmaechtiger 
Vater"  which,  in  fact,  received  preference  in  several  cate- 
chisms of  the  period,  would  have  been  grammatically  correct. 
The  same  motive  induced  him  to  continue  speaking  of  "the 
resurrection  of  the  flesh",  in  consonance  with  the  Creed  as 
transmitted,  although  he  himself  explains  in  his  Large  Cate- 
chism that  "resurrection  of  the  body"  would  be  preferable. 
With  the  whole  Christian  Church  of  his  day  he  prays  :  "Vater 
unser",  thus  retaining  the  secondary  place  assigned  to  the 
personal  pronoun  in  the  vocative  by  the  rules  of  Old 
High  German,  whereas,  in  his  Bible  translation,  he 
follows  the  conventioaal  usage  of  his  time.  writing 
"Unser  Vater".  Although  he  explains  in  the  Large 
Catechism  that  the  word  evil  in  the  Seventh  Petition  denotes 
a  person — the  evil  one,  or  devil,  he  conforms,  when  explaining 
the  same  petition  in  the  Small  Catechism,  to  the  wording  found 
in  several  mediaeval  forms  :  "Deliver  us  from  evil".  However, 
he  raises  no  objections  when  Bugenhagen  introduces  in  Witten- 
berg the  other  form,  which  had  received  considerable  currency, 
"Vom  Boesen"  (From  the  evil  one).  He  prays  in  the  Fifth 
Petition  with  the  Christian  people  of  his  time:  "Verlasse  uns 
unsere  Schulde"  (Schulde  is  plural  form)  while,  in  his  transla- 
tion of  the  Bilde,  he  chooses  the  more  usual  form,  "vergib  uns 
unsere  Schuld".  Finally,  with  the  old  manuscripts  and  the 
Vulgate,  and  in  conformity  to  the  usage  of  his  time,  he  omits 
the  doxology  at  the  end  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  retaining  only 
the  "Amen",  to  which  he  also  restricts  the  subsequent  explana- 
tion. Luther  felt  himself  called  to  something  greater  than  the 
reformation   of   a    few    inherited   linguistic   forms;    therefore  he 


108        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

permitted    to    exist    from    motives    of   piety   and    wise   prudence 
whatever  could  safely  be  retained. 

However,  that  the  traditional  form  was  for  him  no 
inviolate  shackle,  he  proved,  for  instance,  by  changing 
the  "un-German"  "Gemeinschaft  der  Heiligen"  in  the 
Third  Article  into  "Gemeinde  der  Heiligen",  and  by 
adding  the  so-called  Conclusion  of  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, which  was  not  found  at  all  in  the  traditional 
forms  of  the  Decalogue,  while  he  removed  it  from  the 
position  in  which  it  is  found  in  the  Old  Testament  and 
put  it  at  the  end.  In  both  cases  he  was  actuated  by 
consideration  for  pedagogic  necessity,  which  appeared 
to   him   of  greater   importance   than   traditional   forms. 

The  second  and  most  important  feature  in  which 
the  great  significance  of  the  Small  Catechism  is  to  be 
found  is  the  deep  evangelical  understanding,  rooted  in 
the  article  of  Justification,  with  which  its  constituent 
parts,  handed  down  by  former  ages,  are  here  explained. 

This  is  evidenced  in  the  First  Chief  Part  by  three 
important  points :  first  of  all,  by  the  freedom  with  which 
he  treats  the  Old  Testament  text.  For  it  is  something 
more  than  a  mere  leaning  upon  a  mediaeval  form  when 
he  leaves  out  the  prohibition  of  images ;  it  is  also  an 
exemplification  of  his  evangelical  standpoint  over 
against  Old  Testament  Law.  According  to  Luther, 
the  Christian,  living  under  entirely  different  conditions, 
requires  no  prohibition  of  image  worship,  while  what 
is  permanent  in  such  prohibition  is  found  by  him  already 
in  the  First  Commandment,  properly  understood.  All 
later  attempts  to  correct  Luther,  some  of  them  project- 
ing themselves  even  into  the  present,  betray,  more  or 
less  clearly,  a  legalistic  trend,  in  keeping  with  the  Old 
Testament   rather   than   the   New.     Their   authors   and 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  109 

advocates  should  read  Luther's  comments  on  the  sub- 
ject in  his  highly  important  book  "Against  the  Heavenly 
Prophets,  of  Images  and  the  Sacrament",  wherein  he 
demonstrates,  with  all  possible  clearness,  that  the  Old 
Testament  Decalogue  contains  ceremonial  and  civil  reg- 
ulations that  are  restricted  to  Israel — the  prohibition 
of  images  and  the  celebration  of  the  Sabbath  among 
them ;  that,  in  consequence,  the  text  of  the  Decalogue  is 
obligatory  only  in  so  far  as  it  tallies  with  the  Law  of 
Nature,  while  the  decision  as  to  what  features  are  of 
permanent  force  is  to  be  left  for  decision  to  the  New  Tes- 
tament. 

The  main  thesis  of  Luther  says :  "The  law  concerning 
images  and  the  Sabbath,  and  everything  added  by  Moses  to 
the  natural  law  and  placed  above  it,  because  not  contained  in 
the  natural  law,  is  now  a  matter  of  liberty — is  abrogated  and 
no  longer  in  force,  having  been  given  to  the  Jewish  people 
alone.  The  same  situation  obtains  as  when  an  emperor  or  king 
enacts  particular  laws  and  ordinances  in  his  country,  as,  for 
instance  the  'Saxon  Mirror'  in  Saxony,  while  the  laws  of  nature 
continue  to  be  in  force  in  all  countries,  as,  honoring  one's  par- 
ents, abstaining  from  murder  and  adultery,  serving  God,  etc. 
Therefore  let  Moses  remain  the  'Saxon  Mirror'  for  the  Jews, 
without  troubling  us  Gentiles  with  it,  just  as  France  pays  no 
attention  to  the  'Saxon  Mirror',  although  quite  in  agreement 
with  Saxony  in  its  observance  of  natural  law.  Why,  then, 
are  the  Ten  Commandments  kept  and  taught?  Answer:  For 
the  reason  that  the  laws  of  nature  are  nowhere  so  well  com- 
posed and  arranged  as  in  Moses". 

Tt  is  once  more  his  evangelical  understanding  com- 
ing to  the  fore  when  Luther,  in  his  explanation  of  the 
Third  Commandment,  altogether  passes  over  the  concept 
"day",  merely  saying  that  we  should  "not  despise 
preaching  and  His  Word,  but  deem  it  holy,  gladly  hear 
and  learn  it".  Appealing  to  Col.  2,  16  ff.;  Gal  4,"  10  ff., 
he  does  not  consider  the  Sundav  as  a  substitute  for  the 


110       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Sabbath,  but  as  a  complete  abrogation  of  it,  every  dif- 
ference among  the  days  of  the  week  having  been  re- 
moved. All  days  are  to  be  equally  holy  to  God,  which 
is  the  only  aim  sought  for  in  the  establishment  of  the 
holy  days  of  the  Church. 

In  the  second  place,  the  evangelical  understanding 
evident  in  the  explanation  of  the  Ten  Commandments 
is  exemplified  by  Luther's  attitude  toward  the  letter  of 
the  law.  He  does  not  stop  at  the  individual  act  named 
in  the  letter.  He  rather  sees  therein  merely  the  coarsest 
outgrowth  of  the  wrong  forbidden,  follows  the  pre- 
cedent set  by  Jesus  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  by  trac- 
ing the  forbidden  wrong  to  the  sin  ramifying  in  all 
kinds  of  wicked  thoughts,  words,  and  deeds,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  requires  of  the  Christian  both  to  oppose 
them  and  to  manifest  a  mind  in  which  the  opposite  ten- 
dency prevails.  Not  external  work — righteousness,  pos- 
sible even  for  the  natural  man,  but  an  attitude  that 
grows  forth  from  the  proper  disposition  of  a  godly 
heart,  thus  determining  the  whole  of  life — such  alone 
is,  in  Luther's  eyes.  Christian  morality. 

Though  this  were  sufficient  to  lift  Luther's  explana- 
tion of  the  Decalogue  above  most  explanations  belong- 
ing to  the  Middle  Age,  its  evangelical  character,  in  the 
third  place,  is  evidenced  in  what  Luther  points  out  as 
the  only  root  of  Christian  morality,  namely,  the  fear 
and  love  of  God — a  proceeding  that  exemplifies  Luth- 
er's evangelical  grasp  upon  the  Decalogue  best  of  all 
— "fear"  being  to  him  nothing  more  than  veneration 
(Ehrfurcht),  or  filial  awe.  That  Luther  traces  the 
words  "we  should  fear  and  love  God"  through  all  the 
Commandments,  thereby  welding  them  into  a  unit — 
that  is  the  real  reformatory  achievement  of  Luther  in 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  111 

this  connection,  which  makes  his  explanation  of  the 
Decalogue  indeed  unique.  Thereby  an  end  is  made  of 
the  bargain  features  of  Roman  piety,  in  which  work  is 
added  to  work,  in  the  belief  that  the  resultant  sum  will 
have  merited  God's  favor.  The  Christian  life,  instead 
of  being  regarded  as  a  series  of  separate  works,  is 
recognized  and  emphasized  rather  as  an  organic  devel- 
opment of  something  enacted  by  God  Himself — fear  and 
love.  Instead  of  being  shown  a  confusing  mass  of 
separate  virtues,  one  thing  alone  and  that  indispens- 
able, is  placed  before  the  eyes  of  everyone,  whether  a 
child  or  a  person  of  average  condition  or  a  mature 
Christian :  the  fear  and  love  of  God,  everything  else 
being  involved  in  that  one  thing  as  the  source  from 
which  it  flows.  In  that  all  other  works,  detached  from 
this  source,  are  represented  as  worthless,  the  great  evan- 
gelical principle  is  forcibly  emphasized  that  works  can- 
not please  God  unless  the  person  first  has  become  pleas- 
ing to  him. 

Coming  now  to  Luther's  explanation  of  the  Second 
Chief  Part,  we  presently  find  that  his  evangelical 
understanding  of  Scripture  has  found  clear  expression 
in  two  ways,  with  an  exposition  as  result  which  is  not 
only  the  fairest  pearl  in  the  Small  Catechism  itself,  but 
a  catechetical  achievement  so  choice  that  there  is  noth- 
ing in  the  whole  realm  of  this  kind  of  literature  which 
approximates,  let  alone  equals,  it.  Luther's  first  merit  in 
the  premises  is  the  grouping  of  all  the  material  in  the 
Creed,  which,  up  to  that  time,  had  been  treated  as  a 
mass  of  mere  unrelated  detail,  around  the  three  great 
saving  deeds  of  the  triune  God — creation,  redemption, 
and  sanctification.  While  the  division  of  the  Creed 
into  three  parts  had  taken  place  at  the  hands  of  Luther 


1 12        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

as  early  as  1520,  a  precedent  followed  since  that  time 
in  most  evangelical  attempts  at  a  catechism,  even  Lu- 
ther or  any  of  his  successors  had  up  to  that  time  never 
gone  beyond  the  mere  division  of  the  Creed  into  three 
parts.  Again  and  again  the  three  articles,  during  the 
process  of  explanation,  would  separate  themselves  into 
a  number  of  independent  particles,  and  again  and  again 
the  redemptive  significance  of  such  particles  in  distinc- 
tion from  others  came  up  for  discussion.  As  a  case  in 
point,  we  read  in  Brenz's  Catechism :  "What  benefit 
do  you  find  in  this  article :  'Conceived  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary?'  Answer:  'I  receive 
this  benefit  from  it  that  my  conception  in  sin  is  not 
accounted  as  sin  in  the  judgment  of  God,  and  that  my 
sinful  birth  is  sanctified  through  Jesus  Christ.' — What 
benefit  do  you  find  in  this  article :  'Suffered  under  Pon- 
tius Pilate?'  Answer:  'That  His  life  is,  in  the  judg- 
ment of  God,  a  satisfaction  for  my  sin,  and  that  all 
my  sufferings  are  blessed  and  sanctified  through  His.'  " 
Luther,  however,  in  the  Small  Catechism  connects  all  the 
several  particles,  subordinates  them  to  the  main  thought, 
conceives  them  as  the  organic  members  of  a  unit, 
and  sets  forth,  in  a  manner  truly  classical,  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  whole  for  the  Christian  life.  Seizing,  e.  g., 
in  the  First  Article,  upon  creation  as  the  main  thought, 
he  places  that  in  the  center  and  gives  it  prominence  in 
every  direction.  While  he  gives  space  to  the  confession 
of  God  as  the  "Father  almighty",  particularly  in  the 
words :  "and  all  this  purely  out  of  fatherly,  divine 
goodness  and  mercy",  having,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
brought  out  the  idea  of  God's  fatherhood  before,  he 
carefully  refrains  from  making  that  the  controlling  as- 
pect.    That  this  mode  of  presenting  the  subject  is  most 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  113 

in  harmony  with  a  true  conception  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, is  clearly  seen  in  connection  with  the  Second  Ar- 
ticle, inasmuch  as  the  several  events  of  the  life  of  Christ 
here  mentioned,  while  without  significance  separately, 
are  of  the.  utmost  significance  as  joint  factors  of  the 
life  of  Jesus  as  a  whole.  Of  what  benefit  were  the 
conception  of  Jesus  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  His  birth 
of  the  Virgin  Mary,  if  they  had  not  been  followed  by 
His  life,  death,  and  resurrection?  Not  one  of  these 
facts,  detached  from  the  others,  has  brought  about  our 
salvation ;  but  all  of  them  together  have  done  so.  Lu- 
ther, for  this  reason,  assigning1  a  central  position  to  the 
words :  "I  believe  in  our  Lord",  subordinates  to  this 
central  thought  all  the  other  rich  material  of  the  article, 
and  uses  it  to  explain  who  our  Lord  is,  whereby  He  has 
become  our  Lord,  and  whereby  His  lordship  is  ex- 
tended more  and  more. — Similar  is  Luther's  method  of 
explaining  the'  Third  Article.  In  the  eyes  of  all  pre- 
vious catechists,  a  few  church  fathers  only  excepted, 
the  Third  Article  fell  apart  into  five  distinct  particles, 
which  were  placed  alongside  of  each  other  in  co-ordinate 
relation.  Luther,  discovering  and  demonstrating  the 
underlying  unity,  without  straining  a  single  particle, 
found  by  means  of  it  the  outlines  of  a  truly  evangel- 
ical way  of  salvation;  that  is,  the  outlines  of  sanctifi- 
cation — the  guidance  of  souls  to  Christ  as  their  Lord 
and  Savior  by  divine  acts  covering  both  time  and  eter- 
nity. For  through  the  Church,  through  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins,  the  resurrection  of  the  body  and  reception 
into  life  eternal,  is  wrought  the  one  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who,  in  the  past,  has  thus  brought  us  to  Christ, 
in  the  present  brings  us  daily  to  Him  again,  and,  in 
the  future,  will  bring  us  to  Him  fully  for  all  eternity. 


1 14        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Therewith  the  fundamental  conception  that  the  salvation 
of  the  Christian,  from  beginning  to  end,  depends  not  on 
himself  but  on  Christ  and  the  Spirit  sent  by  Him,  has 
received  classical  expression. 

The  second  feature  of  Luther's  treatment  of  the 
Second  Chief  Part,  which  reveals  his  evangelical  under- 
standing, is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  is  not  satisfied 
with  a  mere  "fides  historica"  in  the  facts  of  salvation  be- 
longing to  the  past,  but  that  he  brings  these  facts  into 
vital  relation  to  the  present  and  to  the  life  of  the  indi- 
vidual confessor.  The  Christian  that  confesses  the  First 
Article,  according  to  Luther,  does  not  merely  intend 
thereby  to  signify  his  assent  to  the  fact  that  God,  once 
upon  a  time,  created  the  world :  he  rather  means  to  con- 
fess that  he  himself  owes  life  and  its  blessings  to  no  one 
else  but  God,  who  has  created  also  him,  guards  and 
keeps  him;  that  his  whole  life  depends  upon  God,  for 
which  reason  he  is  in  duty  bound  to  gratitude  and  obe- 
dience. He  who  confesses  the  Second  Article,  according 
to  Luther,  by  no  means  thereby  restricts  himself  to  the 
assertion  of  the  fact  that  Christ,  once  upon  a  time,  took 
the  several  steps  to  our  salvation,  thus  becoming  the 
Lord  of  Christendom :  he  rather  means  to  connect  all 
this  with  himself,  and  to  confess  that  Jesus,  without 
whom  he  would  have  remained  a  lost  and  condemned 
sinner,  by  such  acts  became  his  Lord,  whose  own  he 
should  be  and  will  be  in  time  and  eternity,  grateful 
that  he  has  redeemed  also  him.  And  it  is  just  this 
correlation  of  the  redemptive  facts  of  the  past  with  the 
believing  subject  of  the  present,  with  one's  self,  and  the 
conviction  thus  brought  about  that  the  Christian,  with 
what  he  is  and  what  he  has,  rests  altogether  upon  the 
grace  of  God,  to  which,  for  that  reason,  his  whole  life 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  115 

is  to  be  surrendered,  that  constitute  the  character- 
istic feature  of  a  saving  faith  truly  evangelical. 

What  Luther  brings  in  his  explanation  of  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  is  not  so  new  and  original.  Patterning 
his  own  work  upon  Old  Church  models  (especially  Ter- 
tullian  and  Cyprian),  he,  at  times,  does  not  even  quite 
penetrate  to  the  deepest  meaning  of  the  words  (compare, 
for  instance,  the  second  petition).  However,  also  here 
everything  is  truly  evangelical.  This  is  proved  by  the 
arrangement  as  a  whole,  which  again  takes  up  the  First 
and  Second  Chief  Parts  and  makes  that  a  subject  for 
prayer  which  has  there  been  urged  upon  the  soul  as  the 
commanding  and  saving  will  of  God.  This  point  re- 
ceives further  illustration  through  the  emphasis  laid 
by  him  in  the  Fifth  Petition  upon  the  divine  will,  and, 
in  the  explanation  of  the  introduction,  through  the  truly 
charming  interpretation  of  the  divine  name  "father", 
and  of  our  relation  to  Him.  Added  as  late  as  1531, 
Luther's  explanation  of  the  introduction  has  become  the 
most  beautiful  part  of  his  exposition  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer — in  the  sunburst  of  the  catechism  one  of  the 
most  resplendent  gems. 

The  addition  of  the  Fourth  and  the  Fifth  Parts  with 
the  appended  introduction  to  the  meaning  of  the  sa- 
cred acts  of  which  they  treat,  is  in  itself  a  loud  protest 
against  the  Roman  "opus  operatum"  and  every  kind  of 
thoughtless  training  of  the  masses  for  a  merely  out- 
ward observance.  In  particular,  however,  Luther's 
evangelical  understanding  evidences  itself  as  a  vitaliz- 
ing force  in  the  Fourth  Chief  Part,  in  that  it  lets  the 
subjective  element,  faith,  come  into  its  own,  without 
which  a  true  appropriation  of  the  blessing  wrought  by 
God  in  Baptism  is  out  of  the  question.    The  strong  em- 


116 


The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 


phasis  placed  by  Luther  upon  the  objective  element  in 
Baptism — that  which  God  works  through  the  sacrament, 
does  not  prevent  the  Reformer  from  bringing  out  the 
true  significance  of  faith,  in  that  he  limits  the  blessing 
of  Baptism  to  those  who  "believe  such  words  and  pro- 
mises of  God",  and  to  "faith,  which  trusts  such  Word  of 
God  in  the  water".  With  such  consummate  success  Lu- 
ther, moreover,  sets  forth  the  initial  sacrament  as  a 
factor  influencing  the  whole  extent  of  Christian  life  and, 
at  the  same  time,  as  a  source  of  numerous  ethical  mo- 
tives, that  it  virtually  passes  under  the  aspect  of  a  daily 
"regressus  ad  baptismum"  ("it  signifies  that  the  old 
Adam  in  us  should  by  daily  sorrow  and  repentance, 
be  drowned  and  die"). 

Likewise  the  institution  of  Confession,  made  quite 
unrecognizable  by  the  parasitic  growth  of  human  addi- 
tions during  the  Middle  Ages,  has  been  reduced  by  Lu- 
ther to  its  original  simplicity  and  purity.  Its  center  of 
gravity  is  found  in  the  act  of  absolution,  which  presup- 
poses a  sincere  confession  of  sin  before  the  Lord.  The 
enumeration  by  name  of  individual  sins  has  been  abro- 
gated, and  if,  notwithstanding,  the  advice  is  given  to 
confess  to  the  pastor  sins  of  an  especially  oppressive 
character,  the  object  is  merely  to  secure  more  effectual 
pastoral  treatment  and  assurance  of  the  forgiveness  of 
sins.  The  Decalogue,  evangelically  interpreted,  is  to  be 
used  in  the  process  as  the  mirror  in  which  the  soul  is 
made  to  see  its  sin.  The  sacramental  character,  borne 
by  this  act  during  the  Middle  Ages  to  a  greater  degree 
than  any  sacrament  in  the  Roman  catalogue,  was  reso- 
lutely stripped  away.  From  the  position  of  chief  sacra- 
ment, Confession  was  reduced  to  a  mere  episode  between 
Baptism  and  the  sacrament  of  Holy  Communion,  bearing 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  117 

upon  the  one  as  well  as  upon  the  other.  While  not  alto- 
gether without  pedagogic  significance,  Confession  after 
all,  in  contrast  to  the  proclamation  of  the  Word  and  the 
administration  of  the  sacraments,  has  become  merely 
an  institution  of  the  Church. 

In  the  Fifth  Chief  Part,  finally,  the  evangelical 
understanding  of  the  Reformer  is  seen  in  a  correct  defi- 
nition of  the  essence  of  the  Sacrament  of  the  Altar  as 
grounded  in  the  words  of  institution;  in  the  stress  laid 
upon  a  repentant  faith  as  the  preliminary  condition  of 
a  blessed  reception;  further,  in  the  reiteration  of  the 
phrase  "for  you" ;  most  conspicuously,  however,  in  the 
statement:  "Where  there  is  forgiveness  of  sins,  there 
is  also  life  and  salvation".  We  characterize  this  sen- 
tence as  the  most  forcible  evidence  of  evangelical  under- 
standing, for  the  reason  that  therein  the  reformatory 
conception  of  justification  by  faith  is  placed  in  glaring 
contrast  to  the  corresponding  doctrine  of  Rome.  For- 
giveness of  sin  is  by  no  means  merely  an  initial  stage  on 
the  way  to  God's  favor,  serving  as  basis  from  which,  by 
efforts  of  one's  own,  to  work  one's  self  through  to  justi- 
fication and  fullness  of  salvation.  He  who  has  received 
forgiveness  of  sin  has  therewith,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
received  everything  else,  standing  already  as  a  saint  in 
the  sight  of  God. 

Nor  should  it  be  forgotten  that  truly  evangelical 
ideas  prompted  Luther  to  append  or,  at  least,  to  ex- 
purgate, the  remaining  parts  of  the  Catechism,  which  to- 
day are  neglected  altogether  too  much.  The  sanctifica- 
tion  of  daily  labor  and  of  daily  food  through  God's 
Word  and  prayer  is  necessary  to  a  genuine  Christian 
life,  and  the  more  completely  the  life  of  prayer  is  regu- 
lated by  system  the  better  and  healthier  it  is.     Where 


118        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

system  in  matters  of  Christianity  has  stiffened  to  habit, 
a  wholesome  leverage  has  been  put  in  motion  for  life. 
This  is  a  fact  that  must  be  upheld,  however  true  it  is 
conversely  that  there  is  no  foe  more  greatly  to  be  dread- 
ed than  the  shriveling  of  the  inner  life  to  a  routine  of 
mere  lifeless  habit.  The  prayers  received  by  Luther  into 
his  Catechism  or  composed  by  him  for  the  purpose,  free 
from  unbiblical  mediaeval  additions,  are  genuinely  evan- 
gelical ;  and  when  in  this  connection  the  accompanying 
features  of  kneeling,  the  folding  of  hands,  and  the  sign 
of  the  cross  are  advocated,  a  remarkable  appreciation 
is  shown  for  symbols  in  private  worship,  whether  that 
of  the  family  or  the  individual.  A  thought  diametri- 
cally opposed  to  mediaevalism  is  expressed  in  the  incor- 
poration of  the  Table  of  Domestic  Duties — the  genuine 
ly  biblical  and  reformatory  one  that  the  true  Chris- 
tian life  must  find  expression  and  prove  itself  in  the 
frame  of  every  calling  created  by  God,  and  not  in  a 
monastic  flight  from  the  world.  There  are  no  two  ethi- 
cal standards,  a  higher  and  a  lower,  the  former  consist- 
ing in  the  renunciation  of  earthly  blessings,  the  latter 
in  the  use  of  them ;  there  is  but  one  standard,  and  that 
is  the  same  for  all.  Likewise  there  is  but  one  sphere 
in  which  such  ethical  standard  is  to  be  applied;  namely, 
the  several  forms  of  the  earthly  calling  or  vocation, 
which,  being  of  divine  ordering,  should  be  considered 
as  pleasing  to  God.  For  this  reason,  Luther  supplied 
the  Table  of  Domestic  Duties  with  the  superscription : 
"Table  of  Duties ;  or,  Certain  Passages  for  Various 
Holy  Orders  and  Estates". 

While  the  great  significance  of  the  Small  Catechism 
is  largely  found  in  the  second  meritorious  feature,  just 
considered — the  evangelical  understanding  out  of  which 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  119 

Luther's  explanations  were  born,  that  book  would  never 
have  gained  such  significance,  or,  having  gained  it, 
would  never  have  maintained  it,  but  for  the  additional 
merit  of  possessing  great  pedagogic  excellences.  The 
mere  facts  of  having  Luther  as  author,  of  having  been  re- 
ceived as  one  of  the  Symbolic  Books,  of  expressing  a 
profound  understanding  of  the  Gospel, — all  these  facts 
alone  would  not  have  secured  for  it  its  value  as  a  school 
book. 

Among  its  pedagogic  excellences  might  be  named, 
first,  its  consummate  linguistic  form,  resulting  in  an  all 
but  architectural  beauty  for  its  several  parts.  From  this 
standpoint  the  explanation  of  the  Second  Article  lies 
before  us  as  a  hitherto  peerless  model,  characterized  by 
rythmic  euphony  and  a  noble  plastic  form.  Read  aloud, 
by  way  of  illustration,  the  passage  under  consideration ; 
note  .especially  the  words:  "Who  has  redeemed  me, 
purchased  and  won  me,  from  all  sins,  from  death  and 
from  the  power  of  the  devil!"  Here  is  word-painting 
altogether  in  keeping  with  the  deep  thought  portrayed. 
Note  the  minute  word-painting,  born  out  of  and  de- 
manded by  the  principle  of  sense  perception,'  when  he 
unfolds  the  term,  "daily  bread"  in  his  explanation  of  the 
Fourth  Petition.  While,  here  and  there,  the  length  of 
some  period  presents  difficulties  in  the  process  of  mem- 
orizing, for  which  reason  there  have  been  pedagogues 
that,  shortly  after  the  publication  of  the  Catechism,  re- 
solved such  periods  into  a  series  of  shorter  sentences, 
this  difficulty  is  considerably  relieved  by  the  lucid 
and  architectonic  structure  of  the  same  period;  and 
when  these  periods  have  once  been  committed  to 
memory  they  constitute  a  treasure  for  the  mind 
which  will  prove  far  less  elusive  than  a  series  of  asyn- 


120       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

thetical  sentences.  The  glow  of  personal  testimony 
which  breathes  from  these  lines,  the  picturesque  word- 
painting  which,  whenever  called  for,  no  succinctness  of 
expression  can  prevent,  and  the  hymn-like  sweep  of 
phrase,  are  features  that  cause  such  difficulties  to  be  all 
but  forgotten. 

Other  pedagogic  excellences  are  even  greater.  We 
mention,  in  the  second  place,  the  utter  absence  of  any 
polemics  whatever.  However  fiercely  Luther  flamed 
against  false  teachers,  not  recoiling  from  an  occasional 
polemical  onslaught  even  in  his  sermons, — just  as  care- 
fully he  avoided  every  trace  of  polemics  in  the  Small 
Catechism,  where,  in  the  spirit,  he  stood  in  the  nursery 
or  in  the  school-room.  He  does  not  inveigh  in  the 
First  Chief  Part  against  the  spurious  good  works  con- 
ceived by  men ;  but  merely  aims  to  show,  with  good  ex- 
amples as  object  lessons,  how  genuine  good  works  must 
grow  forth  from  the  fear  and  love  of  God.  He  does  not 
battle  in  the  Second  Article  against  those  who  have 
usurped  authority  over  Christendom,  as  the  pope  and 
the  bishops.  He  is  rather  intent  upon  one  thing  alone, 
namely,  to  impress  firmly  the  positive  and  fundamental 
truth  that  Jesus  alone  is  our  Lord  and  Master,  and  that 
the  circumstances  making  Him  such  exclude  the  possi- 
bility of  anyone  becoming  our  master  save  He  alone. 
Luther  does  not  militate  in  the  Third  Article  against  the 
perversion  of  the  way  of  salvation  by  the  Romanists 
or  the  enthusiasts ;  but,  with  the  background  of  such 
perversion  in  view,  he  impresses  the  fact  upon  the  heart 
with  special  emphasis  that  the  Holy  Spirit  alone  can 
lead  us  to  Christ,  and  that  every  other  means  is  excluded 
from  the  process  than  his  Gospel.  Most  strongly,  no 
doubt,   Luther   was   tempted   to  polemics   in   connection 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  121 

with  the  Fourth  and  the  Fifth  Chief  Parts.  While,  at 
the  time  when  the  Catechism  was  composed,  the  Bap- 
tists and  enthusiasts  had  been  defeated  in  Saxony,  the 
havoc  made  by  them  confronted  Luther  still  at  every 
step ;  and,  outside  of  Saxony,  they  continued  their 
efforts  without  dismay  and  by  no  means  without  suc- 
cess. But  Luther  refrained  notwithstanding  from  oc- 
cupying himself  with  their  pernicious  doctrines.  Only 
the  question  and  answer  in  connection  with  the  third 
chapter  on  Baptism,  in  which  Luther  stresses  both  the 
deed  of  God  and  faith,  contain  gentle  echoes  as  it  were 
of  the  strife,  but  the  positive  turn  given  to  the  thought 
obviates  also  here  the  appearance  of  polemics.  The 
sacramentarian  conflict  was  in  full  swing  when  Luther 
wrote  his  Fifth  Chief  Part;  but,  refusing  space  to  pol- 
emical sentiments,  he  merely  presented  with  special  care 
the  biblical  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Supper  in  a  positive 
manner,  well  knowing  that  the  more  positively  the  boys 
and  girls  are  equipped  in  biblical  truth,  the  more  con- 
stant they  will  be  when  the  time  shall  have  come  to 
maintain  and  defend  their  biblical  faith.  Instead  of  cold 
scholasticism  and  polemics,  Luther  prefers  to  make  the 
youth  taught  by  him  feel  the  breath  of  true,  noble  godli- 
ness and  the  throb  of  personal  faith  and  life ;  for  he 
knows  that  thereby  the  way  to  the  heart  of  the  young 
is  soonest  found  and  a  permanent,  plastic  influence 
exerted  upon  their  souls.  A  breath  of  the  life  from  God 
and  in  God — such  is  Luther's  catechetical  motive. 

A  third  pedagogic  excellence  of  Luther's  Catechism 
is  the  fact  that  the  Reformer  refrains  from  combining 
the  five  chief  parts  into  a  systematic  whole  through 
intermediate  questions,  an  omission  not  made  by  most 
of    his    predecessors    and    successors.      In    his    "Short 


122        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Form"  of  1520,  Luther,  too,  had  established  such  a 
connection  in  that  renowned  passage  of  his  preface,  at 
least  so  far  as  the  trilogy  is  concerned.  He  writes  there : 
"Man  needs  to  know  three  things  in  order  to  be  saved. 
First,  he  must  know  what  to  do  and  what  to  refrain  from 
doing.  Second,  when  he  sees  that  he  has  no  strength  to 
do  what  he  should,  and  to  refrain  from  doing  what  he 
should  not  do,  that  he  knows  where  to  receive,  seek,  and 
find  such  strength,  so  that  he  may  do  what  he  should  and 
refrain  from  doing  what  he  should  not  do.  Third,  that 
he  may  know  where  a  suitable  remedy  is  to  be  found. 
Finally,  he  must  desire  it  and  seek  and  fetch  it,  or  have 
it  brought  to  him.  Accordingly,  the  commandments 
teach  man  to  know  his  sickness,  so  that  he  may  see  what 
he  can  do  and  what  he  cannot  do ;  what  he  can  refrain 
from  doing  and  what  he  cannot  refrain  from  doing, 
knowing  himself  to  be  a  sinner  and  a  wicked  man.  After 
that,  faith  shows  and  teaches  him  where  to  find  the 
remedy  that  enables  him  to  become  godly,  so  that  he 
may  keep  the  commandments,  showing  to  him  God  and 
His  mercy,  manifested  and  offered  in  Christ.  Third, 
the  Lord's  Prayer  shows  him  how  to  seek,  fetch,  and  ap- 
propriate such  mercy,  namely,  by  proper,  humble,  com- 
forting prayer :  thus  it  shall  be  granted  him,  and  he 
shall  be  saved  by  the  fulfillment  of  the  commandments". 
What  Luther  writes  in  the  Large  Catechism  on  this 
subject  is  quite  similar  (see  Jacobs,  Book  of  Con- 
cord, page  439  -and  page  448).  But  in  the  Small 
Catechism,  written  for  children  and  the  family,  he  does 
not  only  refrain  from  each  and  every  such  allusion ;  but, 
treating  the  Decalogue  both  as  norm  of  the  new  life 
(First  Chief  Part)  and  as  a  mirror  for  sin  (Confession), 
he,  from  the  outset,  excludes  every  attempt  at  reducing 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  123 

his  material  to  a  system.  For  classification  into  a  sys- 
tem becomes  possible  only  when  the  Ten  Command- 
ments are  to  be  considered  either  as  a  norm  of  the  new 
life  or  as  a  mirror  for  sin:  it  is  impossible  when  they 
are  treated  as  both  at  the  one.  and  same  time.  According 
to  Luther's  conception,  each  chief  part  is  intended  to 
represent  the  whole  of  Christianity,  but  every  time  from 
a  different  point  of  view.  Following  no  criterion  but 
his  sound  pedagogical  insight,  Luther  recognized  that 
clear  and  solid  satements  are  required  by  young  peo- 
ple and  ordinary  folk,  not  a  system. 

Of  still  more  importance — and  we  now  come  upon 
the  fourth  pedagogical  excellence  of  the  Catechism — is 
Luther's  wise  restriction  to  that  which  is  really  central 
in  the  Christian  faith  and  life,  and  the  resultant  elimi- 
nation of  the  technical  terms  of  dogmatics.  More  than 
all  the  catechists  that  preceded  him,  more  than  almost 
all  the  catechists  that  have  succeeded  him,  Luther  re- 
mained conscious  of  writing  not  for  prospective  the- 
ologians but  for  the  youth  and  the  common  people. 
For  this  reason  he  restricted  himself  to  the  actual  food 
required  by  the  Christian  as  a  Christian  and  a  child 
of  God,  to  the  actual  requirements  for  a  Christian  life 
and  a  blessed  end.  He,  too,  might  have  dilated  upon 
the  divine  essence  and  attributes,  upon  the  wonderful 
interpenetration  of  the  divine  and  human  natures  in 
Christ,  down  to  an  elaborate  "communicatio  idioma- 
tum" ;  he  could  have  brought  in  all  the  finest  shadings 
of  the  several  stages  of  the  way  of  salvation  and,  like- 
wise, of  the  manifestation  of  Christian  morals  in  the 
diverse  forms  of  social  life.  On  other  occasions  he, 
pioneer-like,  would  indeed  blaze  the  path  in  these  re- 
spects ;  but  in  his  Catechism  he  was  silent  about  all  this, 


124        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

in  order  to  bring  out  that  which  is  central, 
to  make  it  clear  in  all  its  aspects,  and  to  impress  it  upon 
the  young  and  the  ordinary  people.  He  knew  that  other- 
wise they  would  not  see  the  forest  for  its  trees.  What, 
in  connection  with  the  First  and  Second  Chief  Parts, 
we  have  recognized  as  the  product  of  Luther's  profound 
evangelical  understanding,  namely,  the  reduction  by  him 
of  the  whole  of  Christian  morals  to  the  one  root — the 
fear  and  love  of  God,  and  the  grouping  by  him  of  all 
specific  facts  around  the  large  redemptive  acts  of  crea- 
tion, redemption,  and  sanctification,  was  thus  born  at 
the  time  from  that  exquisite  pedagogic  tact  which 
knows  how  to  restrict  itself  to  essentials.  Not  Luther, 
whose  thought  and  expression  was  life,  introduced  dog- 
matics into  catechetical  instruction,  but  Melanchthon, 
who  looked  at  everything  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
theorist. 

Sound  pedagogic  reasoning,  and  not  error  on  Luther's 
part,  prevented  him  from  stressing  the  negative  side  in  his 
exposition  of  the  First  and  the  Sixth  Commandments.  In  the 
First  Commandment,  more  than  in  any  other,  the  negative  fea- 
ture is  suggested  by  the  positive  one,  especially  in  the  phrase 
"above  all  things",  at  least  so  far  as  it  is  appropriate  in  the 
instruction  of  Christian  children,  in  which  "gross  idolatry" 
can  claim  no  right,  while  the  stressing  of  the  negative  side 
would  readily  result  in  displacing  the  positive  element  from 
its  central  position  and  its  consequent  obscuration.  And  if  the 
negative  element  should  be  stressed  in  connection  with  the 
Sixth  Commandment,  the  children  might  easily  be  made  ac- 
quainted  with   sins    hitherto    strange   to   them. 

Much  smaller  is  the  significance  of  the  Small  Cate- 
chism so  far  as  method  is  concerned.  Pointing  to  the 
characteristic  form  of  questions  and  answers,  there  have 
been  those  who  would  make  Luther  the  author  of  this 
form  of  instruction  or   even   the  father  of  the  catechet- 


The  Significance  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  125 

ical  didactic  conversation,  without,  however,  having  the 
least  authority  for  their  assertions.  Long  before  Lu- 
ther, far  in  the  remote  Middle  Age,  questions  and  ans- 
wers had  been  in  vogue  as  a  didactic  method.  More- 
over, the  questions  employed  in  the  Small  Catechism, 
being  merely  incidental  to  an  examination  or  confes- 
sion, have  no  bearing  whatever  upon  the  role  played  by 
the  question  in  modern  pedagogics — to  be  the  principal 
feature  in  a  didactic  or  evolutionary  process.  It  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  development  of  the  didactic 
conversation  as  an  exact  educational  method  can  be 
traced  to  the  Reformation  era  only  in  its  faintest  be- 
ginnings. The  pronunciation  and  repetition  of  sentences 
were  deemed  sufficient  at  that  time.  The  father  or  the 
teacher  would  pronounce  a  sentence,  and  the  child  would 
repeat  it,  until  the  subject  matter  had  been  appropriated. 
In  any  event,  the  question  form  was  calculated  to  arouse 
attention. 

From  the  standpoint  of  method,  it  is  noteworthy 
that  Luther  added  pictures  to  his  Catechism,  taken  most- 
ly from  Scripture.  Thereby  he  signified  that  he  took  his 
stand  upon  the  principle  of  perception — so  important 
from  the  viewpoint  of  method,  an  inference  justified 
by  the  express  advice  given  in  his  preface  to  adduce  as 
many  examples  from  Scripture  as  possible. 

In  the  preface  he  also  pointedly  insists  upon  a 
gradual  introduction  of  the  catechetical  material.  In 
the  first  place,  the  pastor  is  held  to  take  up  the  mere 
text  of  the  Catechism  for  the  purpose  of  impressing  it 
upon  the  memory.  To  avoid  confusion  by  repeated 
alterations  one  year  after  another,  he  is  to  leave  the 
text  of  the  Catechism  unchanged  once  for  all.  The  text 
having  been  mentally  appropriated,  the  pastor  is  to  pro- 


126        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

ceed  to  the  explanation,  so  that  the  children  may  under- 
stand what  has  been  said.  For  this  purpose  he  is  to 
impress  upon  their  memory  the  contents  "of  these 
tables",  that  is,  Luther's  explanation,  or  "some  other 
explanation".  The  caution  is  added  by  no  means  to 
change  one  syllable,  but  to  adhere  consistently  to  the 
form  once  selected.  That  being  accomplished,  the 
"Large  Catechism",  that  is,  an  ampler  explanation  of  the 
Catechism  such  as  is  found  in  a  "great  number  of  books", 
among  which  Luther's  "German  Catechism",  though- 
left  unmentioned,  may  be  reckoned,  is  to  follow.  The 
object  is  to  broaden  the  mental  horizon  of  the  children 
and  the  common  people,  and,  particularly,  to  stress 
whatever  feature,  commandment  or  doctrine,  should  re- 
quire most  attention.  But  if,  owing  to  the  largely  un- 
grateful and  vain  task,  the  pastor  should  run  the  risk 
of  losing  his  courage,  Luther  reminds  him  that  Christ 
has  promised  to  be  our  reward,  provided  we  labor  faith- 
fully. But  those  who  repudiate  instruction  are  to  be 
told  "that,  inasmuch  as  they  deny  Christ,  they  are  no 
Christians ;  that  they  shall  not  be  admitted  to  the  sacra- 
ment; that  they  shall  be  refused  the  privilege  of  spon- 
sorship; that  they  are  devoid  of  every  feature  of  Chris- 
tian liberty,  fit  only  for  the  pope  and  his  henchmen,  yea, 
the  devil  himself". 

15.     Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  Between  1530 
and  1600. 

E.  Sachsse,  pp.  201  ff.— E.  Chr.  Achelis,  pp.  303  ff.,  368  ff.f 
401  ff. — G.  Schumann  and  E.  Sperber,  Gesch.  d.  Religionsunter- 
richts i.  d.  Volksschule,  1890  (pp:  35  ff.). — G.  Langemack,  His- 
toria  catechetica.  vol.  II,  1733. — K.  J.  Loeschke,  Die  religioese 
Bildung  der  Jugend  u.  d.  sittl.  Zustand  d.  Schulen  i.  16.  Jahrh.. 
1846. — C.  Moenckeberg,  Die  erste  Ausg.  v.  Luth.  Kleinem  Kate- 


Religious  Instruction  Between  1530  and  1600  127 

chismus,  1851  (21868). — J.  Bruestlein,  Luthers  Einfluss  auf  d. 
Volksschulwesen  u.  d.  Religionsunterricht,  1852. — F.  Ehren- 
feuchter, Zur  Geschichte  d.  Katechismus,  1857. — H.  Ernesti, 
Zur  Orientierung  lieber  die  Katechismusliteratur,  1859. — E. 
Sachsse,  Zur  Gesch.  d.  ev.  Katechismus  (Halte,  was  du  hast), 
1889.— M.  A.  Gooszen,  De  Heidelbergsche  Catechismus,  1890.— 
A.  Ernst  and  J.  Adam,  Katechetische  Geschichte  des  Elsasses, 
1897. — Friedrike  Fricke,  Luthers  Kleiner  Katech.  in  s.  Ein- 
wirkung auf  die  katechetische  Literatur  d.  Reformationsjahr- 
hunderts,  1898. — R.  Neumann,  Der  ev.  Religionsunterricht  i. 
Zeitalter  d.  Reformation,  1899.— Th.  Wotschke,  Brenz  als  Kate- 
chet, 1900. — F.  Cohrs,  Katechismen  u.  Katechismusunterricht, 
RE,  1901. — K.  Knoke,  Die  deutsch-luth.  Katechismen  i.  d.  braun- 
schweig-hannoverschen  Landen  waehrend  d.  16.  Jahrh.  (Zeit- 
schrift fuer  niedersaechsische  Kirchengeschichte),  1901  u.  1905. 
— M.  Reu,  Quellen  z.  Geschichte  d.  kirchl.  Unterrichts  im  ev. 
Deutschland  zwischen  1530  u.  1600,  5  vols,  1904— 1916.— O.  Fren- 
zel,  Zur  katechetischen  Unterweisung  i.  Zeitalter  d.  Reforma- 
tion u.  Orthodoxie,  1915. — M.  Lauterburg,  Der  Heidelberger  Ka- 
techismus. RE,  1901. — A.  Lang,  Der  Heidelberger  Katechismus 
u.  vier  verwandte  Katechismen,  mit  einer  historisch-theologi- 
schen Einleitung  (here  more  literature  concerning  the  cate- 
chisms of  the  Reformed  Church)',  1907.— Chr.  Moufang,  Katho- 
lische Katechismen  d.  16.  Jahrh.  i.  deutscher  Sprache.  1881.— 
P.  Bahlmann,  Deutschlands  kath.  Katechismen  bis  z.  Ende  d.  16. 
Jahrh..  1894. — O.  Braunsberger,  Entstehung  und  erste  Entwick- 
lung der  Katechismen  des  Petr.  Canisius,  1893.— F.  X.  Thal- 
hof er,  Entwicklung  d.  katholischen  Katechismus  in  Deutsch- 
land, 1899. — A.  Richter,  Ev.  Kirchenordnungen  d.  16.  Jahrb., 
2  vols,  1846. — H.  Heppe,  Gesch.  d.  deutschen  Volksschulwesens, 
5  vols,  1858 — 1860. — A.  Vormbaum,  Die  Schulordnungen  d.  16. 
Jahrb..  1860. — F.  Paulsen,  Gesch.  d.  gelehrten  Unterrichts  vom 
Ausgang  d.  Mittelalters,  vol.  I.  21896.— G.  Mertz,  Das  Schul- 
wesen d.  deutschen  Reformation  i.  16.  Jahrh.,  1902. — E.  Sehling, 
Die  evang.  Kirchenordnungen  d.  16.  Jahrh.,  5  vols,  1903  ff. 

With  his  Catechism  Luther  had  laid  before  the 
Church  a  literary  form  of  catechetical  instruction  which 
he  thought  adequate  to  the  requirements  of  the  peo- 
ple when  used  orally.    The  very  name  "catechism"  chos- 


128        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

en  by  him  for  the  booklet  indicates  that  it  was  not  in- 
tended to  be  anything  but  a  set  of  oral  lessons  in  writ- 
ten form.  To  have  produced  a  standard  book,  however, 
for  use  in  all  Evangelical  churches  and  schools  of  Ger- 
many, was  far  from  his  mind.  It  is  true  that,  after  the 
publication  of  Luther's  Catechism  there  appeared  quite 
a  number  of  independent  catechetical  productions,  not 
only  in  the  South  German  Church  [particularly  the  cate- 
chisms of  Butzer  (1534,  1537,  1543)  and  of  Matthaeus 
Zell  (1535,  1536,  1537) — both  influential  preachers  of 
Strassburg],  and  in  the  Reformed  Church,  but  even 
upon  territory  strictly  Lutheran.  While  these  were 
mostly  intended  for  the  higher  classes  of  the  Latin 
Schools,  as  the  works  of  Moibanus,  Rhegius,  Melanch- 
thon,  Lossius,  Trotzendorf,  Chytraeus,  Wigand,  writ- 
ten, in  keeping  with  their  purpose,  in  Latin,  several  in- 
dependent text-books  were  issued  for  the  primary  in- 
struction of  the  German  youth  and  people,  as  those  of 
Chr.  Yischer.  Hermann  Bonnus,  Judex,  and  others. 
Gradually,  however,  in  consequence  of  the  unique  in- 
fluence of  its  author,  of  its  peculiar  excellence,  and  of 
its  character  as  the  Lutheran  counterpart  to  the  Hei- 
delberg Catechism,  by  which  the  Reformed  churches 
had  been  welded  into  a  unit,  Luther's  Small  Catechism 
gradually  was  accorded  precedence,  so  that  other  text- 
books containing  the  Christian  doctrine  in.  systematic 
form  could  maintain  themselves  by  its  side  only  in  the 
upper  classes  of  the  Latin  schools.  The  regulations  for 
schools  and  churches  eventually,  without  exception,  pre- 
scribed the  study  of  Luther's  Catechism.  After  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  "Wittenberg  Catechesis"  of  1571,  com- 
posed by  the  Krypto-Calvinists,  the  successive  Corpora 
Doctrinae — these  precursors  of  the  Book  of  Concord  of 


Religious  Instruction  Between  1530  and  1600  129 

1580— incorporated  the  Catechism ;  and  the  Book  of  Con- 
cord finally  received  it  even  as  one  of  the  Confessions 
of  the  Church.  In  the  schools  it  was  used  as  First  Read- 
er, for  it  was  provided  with  the  alphabet  and  some  read- 
ing  exercises   and   contained — according   to   the   advice 
given  by  Luther  himself  in  the  preface— first  the  mere 
catechetical  texts  and  then  the  texts  with  the  explana- 
tion.   The  same  was  done  in  the  Latin  Schools,  with  the 
exception   that   Latin   was   the   medium    of   instruction. 
For  the  advanced  pupils  then  followed  an  analysis  and 
extension,  at  times  rather  copious,  of  Luther's  explana- 
tion.    Among  the  best  of  such  explanations  of  Luther's 
Catechism  in  the  German  language  are  those  by  Moer- 
lein  (1547),  Friedrich  (1572),  Mathesius  (1574),  Bischoff 
(1599,,   specially,  however,  the  "Gueldene  Kleinod"— 
Golden  Jewel— by  John  Tetelbach,  of  the  year  1568.  The 
latter  was  one  of  the  earliest  to  carry  out  the  correct  ex- 
pository principle  that  an  explanation  of  the  Catechism 
ought  not  to  be  anything  else  but  an  introduction  into 
the  treasure  of  religious  truths  contained  in  the  verbal 
contents     of    Luther's     Catechism — a    principle    trace- 
able  down   to   the   seventeenth   century.     In   the  upper 
classes  of  the  Latin  Schools  the  Catechism  was  handled 
in    Greek.      Even    a    polyglot    edition— German,    Latin, 
Greek,  Hebrew — was  issued  not  only  once  but  repeat- 
edly, while  the  first  appearance  of  the  Small  Catechism 
was   soon   followed  by  a   German-Latin  edition,   which 
obtained  great  vogue.     In  the  universities,  at  least  the 
technical  plan   of  the  Catechism   was   occasionally   fol- 
lowed. It  was  not  long  till  Luther's  Catechism  had  spread 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  Germany,  being  found  within 
about  sixty  years  after  its  first  appearance  in  Bohemian, 
Danish,   English   (in  the  form  of  the  Nuremberg  Ser- 


130        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

mons  for  Children),  Finnish  (?),  Esthonian,  French, 
Greek,  (three  different  translations),  Hebrew,  Icelandic 
(in  the  form  of  the  Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Children), 
Italian,  Lett,  Lithuanian,  Latin  (four  different  trans- 
lations), Dutch,  Old-Prussian,  Slovenian,  Spanish  (?). 
Swedish,  and  Wend.  In  but  few  regions,  especially  in 
Wuertemberg,  the  catechism  of  Brenz,  in  the  new  brief 
form  of  1535,  has  maintained  itself  down  to  the  pre- 
sent, although  elements  from  Luther's  Catechism  were 
blended  with  its  later  editions.  Specific  research  in  late 
years  has  disclosed  the  energy  with  which  the  cate- 
chisms were  everywhere  disseminated  among  the  youth 
and  the  common  people  in  this  era. 

Not  only  the  needed  text-books,  however,  were 
published ;  the  institutions  required  for  the  use  of  the 
books  likewise  were  provided.  Again  and  again  the 
duty  of  the  home  to  teach  was  made  a  matter  of  con- 
science, so  that  the  inculcation  of  the  Catechism  became 
an  important  element  of  family  worship,  children  and 
servants  frequently  becoming  conversant  with  its  ver- 
bal content  even  without  being  able  to  read  or  before 
that  accomplishment  had  been  acquired.  In  the  Latin 
Schools  the  inculcation  and  explanation  of  the  Catechism 
was  a  regular  part  of  the  curriculum,  and  the  school 
regulations,  almost  without  exception,  devoted  consid- 
erable space  to  this  subject.  In  the  villages  the  so-called 
"Kuesterunterricht" — instruction  by  the  verger — al- 
ready mentioned  in  connection  with  the  "Instructions 
for  Visitors  in  Saxony",  became  the  established  rule 
even  beyond  Saxony.  This  was  the  meager  beginning 
of  the  later  public  school.  Through  inspections  that  re- 
curred with  great  regularity,  care  was  taken  that  such 
institutions  did  not  pass  away  but  were  rather  improved, 


Religious  Instruction  Between  1530  and  1600  131 

one  set  of  regulations  requiring  the  verger  to  give  four 
hours'  instruction  daily,  a  requirement  which,  for  the 
time  being,  could  not  but  remain  a  dead  letter.  To  the 
foregoing  was  added  the  catechetical  instruction  given 
in  church:  the  reading  on  Sunday  from  the  pulpit  of  the 
texts  of  the  Catechism  or  of  one  of  the  chief  parts  to- 
gether with  Luther's  explanation,  the  special  catechetical 
lesson  on  Sunday  afternoon,  at  some  places  also  on 
week  days,  and  catechetical  sermons  preached  either  in 
the  emberday  seasons  only  or  also  throughout  the  year  on 
Sundays  or  during  the  week.  Of  all  extant  catechetical 
sermons  intended  for  the  instruction  of  the  young,  the 
aforementioned  Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Children,  of 
which  translations  had  been  made  into  several  lan- 
guages (into  English  1548),  are  the  most  excellent.  And 
in-some  respects  they  have  not  been  excelled  to  this  day. 
When,  through  such  institutions,  the  knowledge  and  un- 
derstanding of  the  Catechism  had  been  imparted,  there 
followed,  as  a  rule  during  Lent  and  usually  in  the  par- 
sonage, an  examination  in  the  Catechism,  called  also 
"Glaubensexamen" — inquiry  into  the  faith,  upon  whose 
issue  depended  admission  to  Holy  Communion.  Such 
examination  was  accounted  as  the  genuine  "evangelical 
confirmation".  At  some  places  a  course  of  special  in- 
struction, ranging  over  several  weeks,  preceded  it  (in 
Schleswig-Holstein  in  1544,  in  Brandenburg- Ansbach  in 
1564).  The  privacy  of  the  parsonage  tended  to  be  sup- 
planted more  and  more  by  publicity,  in  that  the  exam- 
ination took  place  before  the  assembled  congregation  in 
connection  with  a  simple  confession  on  the  part  of  the 
children  and  with  prayer  on  the  part  of  the  congregation 
(exploratio,  confessio,  oratio).  In  this  form  it  was 
prescribed  for  the  first  time  in  1535  for  Liegnitz  and  pro- 


132        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

posed  in  the  "Wittenberg  Reformation"  of  1545;  later 
it  spread  to  distant  places,  although  it  did  by  no  means 
become  general,  failing  of  introduction,  for  instance,  in 
Electoral  Saxony.  By  M.  Chemnitz  it  was  strongly 
recommended  in  his  Examen  Concilii  Trident.,  II,  3, 
as  the  true  evangelical  counterpart  of  the  Roman  con- 
firmation. In  Hessen  (1539,  1566,  1574)  and  in 
Strassburg  (at  least  in  1543)  the  laying  on  of  hands  was 
connected  with  this  act,  an  innovation  due  to  Butzer's 
influence,  while  the  child's  part  in  the  ceremony  was 
augmented  by  the  taking  of  the  vow  of  obedience  to 
the  Church  of  Christ.  Since  the  laying  on  of  hands  was 
identified  with  the  reception  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  a  sac- 
ramental character  was  thus  imputed  to  confirmation. 
Fortunately,  however,  this  form  of  confirmation  did  not 
spread  very  far.  More  in  regard  to  this  point  will  be 
found  in  ch.  39. 

The  first  communion  thus  clearly  developed  as  goal 
of  instruction.  It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that,  in 
many  cases,  no  more  was  required  than  to  memorize 
the  five  chief  parts ;  here  and  there  the  mere  texts  of  the 
Catechism  were  deemed  sufficient;  whereas,  at  other 
places,  the  five  chief  parts  were  supplemented  by  special 
questions  bearing  upon  confession  or  the  sacrament. 

Finally,  private  confession,  which  was  practiced  al- 
most universally  (compare  Augustant  XI),  supplied  an 
expedient  to  renew  acquaintance  with  what  had  been 
acquired  in  early  youth,  inasmuch  as  the  chief  parts  of 
the  Catechism  were  made  a  subject  of  examination,  as 
also,  here  and  there,  in  the  examination  preliminary  to 
marriage.  The  extension  of  this  catechetical  examina- 
tion to  adults  in  connection  with  private  confession, 
while    possibly    rendered    necessary    by    circumstances, 


Religious  Instruction  Between  1530  and  1600  133 

could,  as  a  rule  of  general  application,  no  longer  be 
justified  on  the  ground  of  being  a  corollary  of  reforma- 
tory principles,  inasmuch  as  such  a  rule  would  have 
tended  to  militate  against  the  maturity  of  the  congre- 
gation as  the  contemplated  goal  of  instruction. 

Still  other  tendencies  that  had  become  manifest 
since  1529  developed  in  the  era  under  discussion.  In 
the  Latin  Schools  Biblical  History  took  its  place  along- 
side of  instruction  in  the  Catechism,  although  by  no 
means  equal  to  it  in  rank.  Of  the  splendid  "Dialogi  Sacri" 
of  Castellio  more  than  sixty  editions  were  issued  between 
1543  and  1600,  while  the  "Historia  Sacra"  of  Fabricius 
of  1564  experienced  eleven  editions.  The  explanation 
of  the  Pericopes,  not  seldom  introduced  in  both  higher 
and  lower  schools,  led  to  the  introduction  of  material 
from  Biblical  History,  the  churches,  too,  here  and  there, 
making  this  subject  a  part  of  the  instruction  of  the 
young.  Then,  in  the  higher  as  well  as  the  lower  schools, 
especially  in  the  cities,  Selections  of  Bible  Passages,  now 
arranged  to  follow  the  plan  of  the  Catechism,  now  to 
illustrate  the  pericopes,  were  in  use,  occasionally  also 
school  editions  of  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon  or  of  the 
Psalms  or  of  Jesus  Sirach.  Aside  from  the  feeble  be- 
ginnings in  the  twenties,  the  oldest  selections  of  this 
kind  in  Latin  originated  with  Lossius  of  Lüneburg,  and 
Trotzendorf  in  Silesia,  while  the  oldest  one  in  German, 
intended  specifically  for  the  young,  was  composed  by 
Veit  Dietrich  of  Nuremberg  (1546).  This  whole  cate- 
chetical literature  has  only  by  recent  research  been 
rescued  from  the  oblivion  into  which  it  had  passed. 
Even  a  treasury  of  hymns  with  their  melodies  was,  as 
early  as  this,  considered  necessary  to  the  spiritual  needs 
of  the  young,  a  view  which  led  to  the  addition  of  the 


134        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

more  important  hymns  to  the  catechisms,  or  to  the 
publication  of  hymnals  intended  particularly  for  the 
young.  The  diligent  and  efficient  work  done  between 
1530  and  1600,  is  remarkable,  and,  in  part  at  least,  a 
model  for  today. 

Also  within  the  Reformed  Church  diligent  work  has 
been  done.  Already  in  1522,  Zwingli  instituted  in  Zue- 
rich  a  kind  of  "Kinderlehre" — instruction  for  children. 
At  the  same  place  Leo  Jud  wrote  his  catechism  in  1534, 
in  which  he  conformed  to  Luther's  arrangement  of  the 
chief  pafts ;  in  1535  it  was  issued  in  abridged  form. 
Calvin  composed  a  catechism  in  the  French  language  for 
Geneva  in  1537,  which  he  replaced  by  a  new  one  in 
1541,  which  subsequently,  in  the  Latin  translation  of 
1545  and  the  German  one  of  1563,  gained  importance 
also  in  some  districts  of  Germany.  Consisting  of  373 
questions  and  answers,  it  was  divided  into  four  parts : 
1.  Of  faith;  2.  of  the  law;  3.  of  the  Lord's  Prayer; 
4.  of  the  Word  of  God  and  the  sacraments.  As  a 
matter  of  convenience  it  was  further  divided  into  fifty- 
two  sections,  for  the  purpose  of  finishing  the  study  of 
it  within  one  year.  Distinguished  by  virtue  of  its  lucid 
arrangement  and  the  purposeful  subordination  of  its 
details  to  its  general  aim — the  arousing  of  faith,  is  the 
catechism  of  John  a  Lasco.  Written  in  1546,  and  pub- 
lished in  1551,  it  contained  the  following  parts:  1.  Dec- 
alogue; 2.  the  Creed;  3.  Baptism,  Holy  Supper,  Church 
Discipline;  4.  Prayer.  Like  Calvin's  Catechism,  it  was 
used,  for  instance  in  East  Frisia.  All  of  these  were 
superseded  by  the .  Heidelberg  Catechism,  which,  by 
electoral  rescript,  was  introduced  in  1563  in  all  churches 
and  schools  of  electoral  Palatinate  and  given,  since  the 
synod   of  Dort    (1618),   symbolical   dignity  throughout 


Religious  Instruction  Between  1530  and  1600  135 

the  Reformed  Church.  Composed  by  the  Heidelberg 
theologian  Ursinus  in  collaboration  with  others,  espe- 
cially Olevian,  this  catechism  represents  a  skillful  re- 
capitulation of  the  previous  catechetical  efforts  in  the 
Reformed  Church.  It  consists  of  three  parts:  1. 
(questions  1—11)  man's  misery;  2.  (questions  12 — 85) 
man's  redemption  (the  Creed  and  the  Sacraments,  in- 
cluding the  notorious  eightieth  question)  ;  3.  (questions 
85 — 129)  man's  gratitude  (dealing  with  the  Decalogue 
and  the  Lord's  Prayer).  This  famous  threefold  division 
was  patterned  after  a  catechism  by  a  Lutheran  author.*) 
While,  in  point  of  contents,  the  Heidelberg  Catechism 
represents  an  excellent  summary  of  the  milder  type  of 
Reformed  teaching,  and,  here  and  there,  especially  in  the 
famous  first  question,  even  rises  to  heights  of  linguistic 
beauty  and  power;  on  the  other  hand  the  length,  the 
clumsiness,  above  all,  the  spinous  character  of  its  ques- 
tions as  they  taper  to  the  smallest  minutiae  of  Chris- 
tian truth,  are  features  that  constitute  a  decided  disad- 
vantage. Later  the  Scripture  passages,  at  first  merely 
indicated,  were  printed  in  full,  and  the  whole  was  spread 
out  over  the  fifty-two  Sundays  by  a  division  into  as 
many  parts.  Being  calculated  for  the  needs  of  mature 
pupils  rather  than  for  beginners,  an  extract  of  the  book 
was  published  in  1585.  With  this  catechism  catechetical 
efforts  within  the  Reformed  Church  in  Germany  came  to 
a  conclusion.  Nor  did  this  church  fail  to  provide  for 
the  necessary  arrangements  for  catechetical  teaching. 
The  catechetical  examination  of  old  and  young  on  Sun- 
day was  prescribed  also  here. 

Through    the    educational    efforts    of    reformatory 


)     Compare  M.  Reu,  Quellen,   etc.,  I,  pp.  201—203. 


136        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

churches  finally  also  the  Roman  Church  was  induced  in 
the  era  under  consideration  to  provide  for  a  more  gen- 
eral and  thorough  instruction  of  the  young.  According- 
ly there  appeared  in  the  sixteenth  century  a  whole  se- 
ries of  Catholic  catechisms,  especially  since  the  time  that 
the  Jesuits  (1540)  devoted  themselves  to  this  branch  of 
religious  work.  Among  them  the  efforts  of  Canisius, 
father  confessor  of  Ferdinand  I,  deserve  special  men- 
tion. In  1556,  he  issued  his  small  catechism,  that  is. 
a  synopsis  of  a  larger  work  issued  in  1555,  bearing  the 
title  "Summa  doctrinae  christianae".  To  the  compend 
he  assigned  the  title  "Summa  doctrinae  christianae,  per 
questiones  tradita,  et  ad  captum  rudiorum  accommo- 
data".  This  book  was  for  two  centuries  the  chief  cate- 
chism of  the  Roman  Church,  appearing  also  in  German 
("Der  Klain  Catechismus,  etc.").  In  1559,  Canisius  is- 
sued an  additional  catechism,  intended  for  higher 
schools  of  learning.  Despite  its  bulky  size,  it  bore  the 
title  "Parvus  catechismus  catholicorum" ;  it  became 
among  Catholics  the  model  for  their  explanation  of  the 
little  "Summa".  Even  the  Catechismus  Romanus,  also 
called  Catechismus  Tridentinus  (1566),  being  composed 
under  instructions  from  the  Council  of  Trent  and  in- 
tended as  a  manual  for  priests,  as  well  as  the  text  books 
subsequently  based  on  that  catechism  and  set  apart  by 
Clement  VIII  for  exclusive  use  (1598),  could  not  secure 
for  themselves  precedence  of  the  text-books  of  Cani- 
sius. 

16.      Catechetical    Instruction    During    the    Period    of 
Lutheran  Orthodoxism   (1600—1676). 

G.  Langemack,  Historia  catechetica,  vol.  II  and  III,  1733. 
1740. — Ph.  Schuler,  Gesch.  d.  katechetischen  Religionsunter- 
richts, 1802.  pp.  93  ff.— F.  Ehrenfeuchter,  Zur  Geschichte  d.  Ka- 


Catechetical  Instruction  from  1600  to  1676  137 

techismus,  1857.— F.  W.  Bodemann,  Katechetische  Denkmale  der 
ev.-luth.  Kirche,  1861  (containing  the  catechism  of  Tetelbach 
1568,  for  Nuremberg  1628,  of  Justus  Gesenius  1639,  of  M.  Wal- 
ther  1653,  of  Glassius  1640.  for  Mecklenburg  1711).— G.  v. 
Zezschwitz,  If,  1. — Schumann-Sperber,  pp.  39 — 49. — E.  Sachsse, 
pp.  186  ff.— M.  v.  Nathusius  1,  pp.  57  ff.— E.  Chr.  Achelis,  pp. 
319  ft'.— J.  Steinbeck,  pp.  37  ff.— A.  Ernst  and  J.  Adam,  Kate- 
chetische Geschichte  d.  Elsasses,  1897. — Buenger,  Entwicklungs- 
geschichte des  lutherischen  Katechismusgebrauchs  in  Hannover, 
1912. — O.  Frenzel,  Zur  katech.  Unterweisung  im  Zeitalter  der 
Reformation  und  Orthodoxie,  1915. — Vormbaum,  Ev.  Schulord- 
nungen des  17.  Jahrhunderts,  1863. — F.  Paulsen,  Geschichte  des 
gelehrten  Unterrrichts,  21896. — F.  Sander,  Geschichte  der  Volks- 
schule, besonders  in  Deutschland  (K.  A.  Schmidt,  Gesch.  d. 
Erz.  V  3),  1902. — A.  Heubaum,  Gesch.  d.  deutschen  Bildungs- 
wesens seit  Mitte  d.  17.  Jahrh.,  1915.— A.  Matthias,  Gesch.  d. 
deutschen  Unterrichts,  1907. — Joh.  Arndt:  F.  Hashagen,  Aus- 
gew. Predigtein  v.  J.  A.  (Predigt  der  Kirche,  vol.  26),  1894.— 
G.  Hoelscher,  J.  Arndt,  RE,  1897.— W.  Koepp,  J.  Arndt,  e.  Un- 
tersuchung ueber  d.  Mystik  i.  Luthertum,  1912. — Joh.  Val.  An- 
dreae:  J.  Ph.  Gloeckler,  Joh.  Val.  Andreae,  e.  Lebensbild,  1886. 
— J.  Bruegel,  Joh.  V.  Andreae  (K.  A.  Schmid,  Gesch.  d.  Erz. 
III  2),  1892.— G.  Hoelscher,  J.  V.  Andreae,  RE,  1896.— C.  Huelle- 
mann,  V.  Andreae  als  Paedagog,  1884. — His  "Theophilus",  writ- 
ten 1622  (prior  to  Comenius  !)  and  printed  1649,  has  been  trans- 
lated into  German  by  Oehler  (V.  Oehler,  J.  V.  Andreae  Theo- 
philus, 1878).  His  "Evangelische  Kinderlehre",  upon  which 
the  Booklet  for  Confirmands  of  Wuerttemberg  is  based,  was 
published  1621;  the  third  edition  (1648)  is  reprinted  in  Ph.  H. 
Schuler,  Geschichte  des  katechet.  Religionsunterrichts,  1802, 
pp.  329— 352.— Wolfgang  Ratichius:  G.  Voigt,  Wolfg.  Ratichius, 
der  Vorgaenger  d.  A.  Comenius,  1894. — Joh.  Mueller,  Hand- 
schriftliche Ratichiana  (Paedag.  Blaetter)  1878  ff. ;  espec.  1880 
pp.  497  ff. — J.  Lattmann,  Ratichius  und  die  Ratichianer,  1898. — ■ 
A.  Prall,  Paedag.  Schriften  d.  W.  Ratichius,  1902,  espec.  pp.  61 
ff. — H.  Barnard,  German  Teachers  and  Educators,  pp.  343 — 370. 
— R.  H.  Quick,  Educational  Reformers,  1896,  chap.  IX.— Joh. 
Amos  Comenius:  S.  S.  Laurie,  A.  Comenius,  His  Life  and 
Educational  Works,  1885.— W.  S.  Monroe,  Comenius,  1900.— 
J.   Kvacsala,   J.   A.   Comenius,   s.   Leben   u.   s.    Schriften,    1892. — 


138        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

J.  Kvacsala,  Die  paedag.  Reform  d.  Comenius  i.  Deutschland 
bis  z.  Ausg.  d.  17.  Jahrh.,  1904. — F.  Pappenheim,  J.  A.  Comenius, 
2  vols,  1902— 1905.— Monatshefte  d.  Comeniusgesellschaft,  1892 
ff. — The  "Didactica  Magna",  translated  into  German  by  Lion, 
;,1904;  translated  into  English  by  M.  W.  Keatings,  1896;  "Scho- 
la  ludus,"  ed.  by  Boetticher,  -1907;  "Mutter-Schul,"  ed.  by  Lion, 
-1907;  in  English:  The  School  of  Infancy,  by  W.  S.  Monroe, 
1896;  "Orbis  pictus,"  ed.  by  C.  W.  Bardeen,  1891.— Joh.  Kro- 
mayer:  L.  Weniger,  Ratichius,  Kromayer  u.  der  Neue  Me- 
thodus  in  Weimar  (Zeitschr.  f.  thuering.  Geschichte  etc.),  1896. — 
L.  Weniger,  J.  Kromayers  Schulordnungen  von  1614  und  1617 
(ibidem),  1901. — Chr.  Waas,  die  Generalvisitation ...  von  1641 
—1645  (ibidem),  1909  f.;  especially  pp.  245  ff.— Sigm.  Evenius: 
P.  Stoetzner,  Sigm.  Evenius,  e.  Beitrag  zu  Gesch.  d.  Ratichia- 
nismus,  1895.— G.  Schrnid,  S.  Evenius  (Monatshefte  d.  Co- 
menius Gesellsch.),  1895. — K.  Knoke,  E.  christl.  gottselige  Bil- 
derschule (Katech.  Zeitschr.)  1907. — Compare  also  Lattmann, 
Ratichius  u.  Ratichianer,  1898. — Duke  Ernest  the  Pious  of 
Gotha:  G.  Kreyenberg,  Ernst  d.  Fr.,  ein  Lebens-  u.  Kulturbild 
des  17.  Jahrh.,  1890.— H.  Petrich,  Herzog  E.  d.  Fr.  s.  Leben  und 
Wirken,  1901. — W.  Boehne,  Die  paedagogischen  Bestrebungen 
Ernsts  d.  Fr.  v.  G.  1888.— H.  Schroedel  and  H.  Moeller,  E.  d. 
Fr.  ein  Paedagog  unter  d.  Fuersten,  1901. — M.  Ehr,  Beitr.  z. 
Kirchen-  u.  Schulverfassung  d.  Herzogtums  Gotha  bis  z.  Tod 
Ernst  d.  Fr.,  1891. — Braem,  Der  gothaische  Schulmethodus.  E. 
kritische  Untersuchung  ueber  die  ersten  Spuren  d.  Pietismus  i. 
d.  Paedagogik  d.  17.  Jahrh..  1897.— The  "Methodus"  of  1642 
has  been  edited  with  an  excellent  critic-historical  introduction 
by  Johannes  Mueller  in  1883;  it  is  No.  10  of  "Sammlung  selten 
gewordener  paedagogischer  Schriften  frueherer  Zeiten"  and 
bears  the  title  :  "Herzog  Ernst  des  Frommen  Spezial  und  son- 
derbarer Bericht,  wie  die  Knaben  und  Maegdlein  auf  den  Dorf- 
schaften und  in  den  Staedten  im  Fuerstentum  Gotha  kurz  und 
nuetzlich  unterrichtet  werden  koennen  und  sollen,  1642". — The 
"Methodus"  of  1672  has  been  edited  by  A.  Prall,  Der  Schulme- 
thodus des  Herzogs  Ernst  v.  Gotha,  21912.— The  "Kurze  Be- 
griff der  christlichen  Lehre"  by  S.  Glassius  is  reprinted  by 
Ehrenfeuchter,  Supplement  pp.  41 — 62. — Michael  Walther:  Com- 
pare Ehrenfeuchter,  pp.  82  ff.;  R.  Buenger,  Entwicklungsge- 
schichte   des    luth.    Katechismusgebrauchs    in    Hannover,    1912. 


Catechetical  Instruction  from  1600  to  1676  139 

Walther's  Catechism  is  reprinted  by  Ehrenfeuchter.  Supple- 
ment pp.  89 — 126,  and  by  Bodemann. — Justus  Gosenius:  Com- 
pare Ehrenfeuchter,  pp.  79  ff. ;  G.  v.  Zezschwitz  II  2  ]  1874,  pp. 
93  ff.,  and  Buenger  1.  c.  Also  :  E.  Bratke,  Just.  Gesenius,  sein 
Leben  und  sein  Einfluss  auf  die  hannoversche  Landeskirche, 
1883.  especially  pp.  44  ff.;  82  ff.;  146;  147  ff.;  C.  Bertheau,  Jus- 
tus Gesenius,  RE.  1899;  K.  Kayser,  Die  Generalvisitation  des 
Just.  Gesenius  (Zeitschrift  fuer  niedersaechsische  Kirchenge- 
schichte), 1906;  his  catechism  is  reprinted  by  Bodemann,  1.  c. 
and  in  parts  by  Ehrenfeuchter,  Suppl.  pp.  62  ff. 

When  in  contrast  to  its  obscurations  and  perver- 
sions, Lutheran  doctrine,  in  the  form  of  a  more  accu- 
rate formulation,  had  been  confessionally  fixed  in  the 
Book  of  Concord  of  1580,  or,  more  specifically,  in  the 
Formula  of  Concord,  the  temptation  was  great  to  work 
this  .whole  doctrinal  ensemble  also  into  the  catechetical 
text-books,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  such  minute  for- 
mulation of  doctrine  had  been  designed  for  the  theolo- 
gians alone.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  such  temptation, 
generally  speaking,  proved  too  powerful  for  resistance. 
The  result  was  a  preponderance  of  the  doctrinal  ele- 
ment in  the  catechisms  of  the  time,  whereby  the  relig- 
ious and  practical  elements  came  to  be  relegated  to  sec- 
ond place.  An  abhorrent  example  of  this  kind  is  found 
in  the  "Institutiones  catecheticae"  of  Conrad  Dietrich  of 
1613.  In  itself  an  excellent  book,  calculated  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  student  and  the  pastor,  its  effect,  neverthe- 
less, has  been  baneful  by  reason  of  its  author  dragging 
into  it  every  technical  term  of  the  history  of  dogma  and 
of  dogmatics — an  evil  of  which  we  have  not  become  al- 
together free  even  in  the  present.  The  catechist  found 
in  the  catechetical  instruction  a  welcome  opportunity  to 
review  his  dogmatics.  While  this  proceeding  may  have 
been  salutary  for  himself,  stones  rather  than  bread  were 


140        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

given  to  the  children  in  consequence.  Even  the  epi- 
tome of  Dietrich's  "Institutiones",  designed  for  the 
school,  and  still  in  use  today,  is  altogether  too  much 
under  the  influence  of  dogmatism.  The  same  element 
preponderates  in  the  catechetical  sermons.  The  expo- 
sition of  the  Fifth  Chief  Part  by  Aegidius  Hunnius 
(1592),  valuable  though  it  is  in  many  respects,  would 
be  quite  a  creditable  dogmatical  university  lecture;  not- 
withstanding there  are  some  that  go  beyond  even  Aegi- 
dius Hunnius.  Catechetical  sermons  like  those  of  John 
Arndt  (1620)  are  a  rare  find  in  this  era.  Noble  men 
were  grieved  by  these  evils.  One  splendid  soul,  Valen- 
tine Andreae,  on  fire  for  the  welfare  of  the  Church, 
made  bitter  complaint  of  the  parrot-like  recitation  of 
the  catechism  as  a  senseless  and  spiritless  proceeding; 
nor  did  he  hesitate  to  scourge  severely  such  practise  in 
his  "Theophilus"  (1622).  To  improve  these  deplorable 
conditions,  he  published  a  book  of  his  own — ''Kinder- 
lehre (1622).     Compare  ch.  35. 

Then  came  the  Thirty  Years'  War  with  its  woe- 
ful devastation  of  church  and  school.  Such  educational 
facilities  as  had  developed  in  the  course  of  time  were 
dangerously  undermined,  and  some  of  them  passed  away 
altogether,  for  instance,  the  preparation  of  the  chil- 
dren for  their  first  communion.  At  the  same  time,  the 
dire  visitation  of  God  through  war  and  consideration 
for  the  country's  youth,  which  had  been  altogether 
abandoned  to  neglect  during  the  incessant  tempest  of 
strife,  once  more  filled  the  hearts  with  a  desire  to  care 
for  them.  In  the  midst  of  the  turmoil  of  war,  accord- 
ingly, there  came  to  pass  a  renewal  of  educational 
labors.  As  early  as  1628,  Nuremberg  issued  its  "Kin- 
derlehrbuechlein" — Booklet  for  the  Instruction  of  chil- 


Catechetical  Instruction  from  1600  to  1676  141 

clren,  remarkable  for  its  power  both  to  instruct  and  to 
edify.  It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  concluding-  each  commandment  with  the  ques- 
tion, "Have  you  kept  this  commandment?"  it  promoted 
the  one-sided  conception  of  the  Decalogue  as  a  mere 
mirror  for  sin.  Strassburg,  likewise,  distinguished  it- 
self by  the  good  care  taken  of  its  youth.  John  Schmidt 
and  J.  K.  Dannhauer,  professors  at  the  university,  es- 
pecially, took  a  warm  interest  in  this  matter.  Influenced 
by  the  example  of  that  city,  also  Justus  Gesenius  of 
Hanover  devoted  himself  particularly  to  such  efforts. 
In  his  "Catechetical  Questions",  which,  in  the  form  of 
1639,  exerted  a  far-reaching  influence,  this  faithful 
friend  of  the  Church,  by  changing  the  form  of  every 
question  two  or  three  times,  teaches  the  pupil  to  think, 
not  neglecting,  however,  at  the  same  time  to  lay  stress 
upon  he  application  of  the  truth  to  life.  Another  man 
that  did  much  in  this  era  to  raise  catechetical  instruction 
to  a  higher  level,  was  Michael  Walther  of  Celle.  His 
explanation  of  the  Catechism,  which  appeared  first  in 
1653,  and  which  was  drawn  forth  from  oblivion  by 
being  reissued  in  1861,  subsequently  to  be  much  dif- 
fused over  the  United  States  (the  so-called  Stohlmann 
Catechism),  excels  that  of  Gesenius  by  its  clear  defini- 
tions, and  splendid  arrangements,  while  the  superabun- 
dance of  dogmatic  material  wrought  into  it  constitutes 
an  element  of  weakness. 

Turning  our  attention  now  to  the  Thuringian  coun- 
try, we  find  that  the  Church  of  Weimar,  under  its  sup- 
erintendent general  Kromayer,  gave  hearty  support  to 
religious  instruction,  while  in  Gotha  the  excellent  duke 
Ernest  the  Pious  (1601 — 1675)  and  his  noble  educators 
Evenius  and  Reyher,  surpassed  even  the  former  in  point 


142        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

of  thoroughness,  co-ordination,  and  permanence. 
Through  them  the  creative  thoughts  of  Ratichius  the 
great  pedagogue  (1635)  and  of  the  still  greater  Amos 
Comenius  (1592 — 1671)  found  practical  application, 
in  that  model  schools  were  created  throughout  the  re- 
gion. In  the  school  regulations  of  1642,  with  their 
later  extensions,  attendance  upon  school  was  made  ob- 
ligatory in  the  villages  for  all  children  from  five  to 
twelve  years  of  age,  both  boys  and  girls.  Through  the 
liberality  of  the  duke  the  schools  were  furnished  ade- 
quate equipment,  including,  in  part,  free  books.  The 
employment  of  efficient  teachers  was  insisted  upon.  In 
1642,  or  1662  resp.,  scientific  branches,  such  as  arithmetic 
and  natural  history,  were  assigned  their  appropriate 
place,  whereas  formerly  the  curriculum  was  restricted 
to  religious  writing,  reading  and  singing.  Thus  the 
foundations  of  the  Christian  public  school  of  today  were 
laid  in  every  direction.  In  regard  to  religious  instruc- 
tion Comenius  had  required  that,  as  a  rule,  the  children 
should  know  by  heart  the  hymns  and  psalms  in  vogue 
in  their  respective  localities,  and  that,  in  addition  to  the 
Catechism,  they  should  accurately  know  by  heart,  and  be 
able  to  recite,  the  stories  and  principal  passages  of 
Scripture.  These  requirements  were  met  in  the  Gotha 
region,  in  that  the  following  subjects  were  required : 
(1)  the  text  of  the  chief  parts;  (2)  the  explanation  of 
Luther;  (3)  the  "brief  summary"  of  Sal.  Glassius  (=  an 
explanation  of  Luther's  Catechism)  ;  (4)  a  number  of 
passages  of  Holy  Scripture  (160) ;  (5)  psalms,  hymns, 
and  prayers.  After  Sigismund  Evenius  (?),  or  Brun- 
chorst  as  early  as  1636,  had  published  the  "Christliche 
gottselige  Bilderschule" — "Christian,  Godly  Instruction 
through    Pictures;    that    is,    Instruction    of    the    quite 


Catechetical  Instruction  from  1600  to  1676  143 

Young  in  Godliness  through  Bible  Pictures",  in  order  to 
render  an  introduction  to  Biblical  History  possible, 
without,  however,  realizing  his  purpose,  a  book  of  Bible 
stories  was  issued ;  and,  upon  the  basis  thus  furnished, 
the  Bible  stories  were  prescribed  as  sixth  subject  (6), 
at  least  for  the  larger  children  (1662),  whereby  the  be- 
ginning of  Bible  reading  was  made  in  the  schools.  Fin- 
ally, as  seventh  (7)  subject,  the  children  were  given 
a  "Gospel  Book",  in  which  the  Gospel  Lessons 
were  printed.  Since  these  had  to  be  read  with  the  chil- 
dren and  to  be  explained  to  them,  the  preparatory  steps 
for  hearing  of  sermons  had  been  taken,  which  led  to  the 
assignment,  as  eighth  (8)  subject,  of  an  examination  at 
school  in  regard  to  the  principal  contents  of  the  sermon. 
In  the  course  of  the  long  reign  of  Duke  Ernest,  these 
regulations,  in  due  time,  took  root  in  his  domain;  and 
whatever  of  Christian  public  schools  is  found  today  in 
the  land  of  the  Reformation  can,  directly  or  indirectly, 
be  traced  back  to  these  beginnings. 

While,  even  in  the  model  Gotha  country,  instruc- 
tion in  the  Catechism  occupied  the  foreground  rather 
exclusively,  instruction  in  the  Bible  was  nevertheless 
part  of  the  curriculum.  Elsewhere,  too,  selections  of 
Scripture  passages  and  collections  of  the  pericopes  were 
used  as  factors  in  the  instruction  of  the  young;  and  that 
an  introduction  into  Biblical  History  was  not  forgotten 
altogether,  is  evidenced,  aside  from  those  facts  relat- 
ing to  Gotha,  by  the  repeated  publication  in  this  era 
of  the  above  mentioned  "Dialogi  Sacri"  of  Castellio, 
likewise  of  the  "Historia  Sacra"  of  Fabricius.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  books,  Justus  Gesenius,  of  whom  mention 
has  already  been  made,  issued  in  1656:  "Bible  Stories 
of  the  Old  and  the   New   Testaments,   Chronologically 


144        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Arranged  for  the  Benefit  of  the  Young  and  Unlearned, 
Divided  into  two  Parts,  and  each  Part  into  54  Lessons" 
— a  book  intended  as  a  biblical  reader  for  the  home  and 
the  school.  In  the  preface  Gesenius  again  emphasizes 
the  fact  that  the  child's  mind  craves  stories ;  that,  with- 
out a  knowledge  of  Biblical  History,  neither  instruction 
in  the  Catechism  nor  the  sermon  can  be  properly  under- 
stood. Here  already  we  come  upon  the  thought  that  the 
several  stages  of  the  economy  of  grace  cannot  be  appre- 
hended at  all  without  knowledge  of  the  stories  of  the 
Bible  in  their  chronological  arrangement. 

Among  the  better  catechisms  of  our  period  we 
should  number  especially  those  of  Altenburg,  Qued- 
linburg, Frankfort-on-Oder,  and  Danzig.  Some  of  these 
contain  as  appendix  a  selection  of  Bible  passages  and  a 
number  of  psalms  and  hymns.  Rector  Maukisch  of 
Danzig  suggested  ways  for  the  reform  of  the  method 
of  catechetical  instruction  (1653),  and  Theo.  Gross- 
gebauer  for  the  reform  of  schools  in  general  (1661). 

17.     Religious  Instruction  in  the   Church  During   the 
Period  of  Pietism  (About  1677—1750). 

G.  Langemack,  Historia  Catechetica,  3d  vol.  1740. — Ph.  H. 
Schuler,  Geschichte  des  katechetischen  Religionsunterrichts, 
-1802,  pp.  107— 207.— F.  Ehrenfeuchter,  pp.  48— 61.— G.  v.  Zez- 
schwitz  I  eh.  26;  II  21  eh.  32;  II  2-  eh.  16.— Schumann-Sperber, 
pp.  49  ff.— F.  Cohrs,  Katechismusunterricht,  RE,  1901.— M.  v. 
Nathusius,  Das  Ziel  des  kirchlichen  Unterrichts,  1903,  pp.  56 
ff.— E.  Chr.  Achelis,  pp.  320  ff.— J.  Steinbeck,  pp.  43  ff.— R. 
Vormbaum,  Evangelische  Schulordnungen  des  18.  Jahrhunderts, 
1864. — K.  von  Raumer,  Geschichte  der  Paedagogik  II,  61897. — 
Phil.  Spener:  P.  Gruenberg,  Phil.  Jac.  Spener,  3  vols,  1893. 
1905.  1906.— W.  Thilo,  Spener  als  Katechet,  1840.— W.  Thilo, 
Der  Bibelspruch  im  Dienst  des  evangelischen  Religionsunter- 
richts,  1846. — W.  Caspari,  Die  evangelische  Konfirmation,   1890, 


Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  1677  to  1750  145 

especially  pp.  84  ff. — W.  Diehl,  Zur  Geschichte  der  Konfirmation, 
1897,  pp.  90  ff.— A.  Ernst  and  E.  Adam,  Katechetische  Geschichte  . 
des  Elsasses,  1897,  p.  210. — Especially  P.  Gruenberg,  loco  citato, 
2d  vol.  pp.  58 — 90. — Spener's  "Kurze  Katechismuspredigten"  (be- 
ing the  exordia  of  his  sermons,  delivered  during  the  seventies, 
but  published  later),  1689;  new  edition  St.  Louis  and  Leipzig, 
^1869.  His  "Einfaeltige  Erklaerung  der  christlichen  Lehre  nach 
der  Ordnung  des  kleinen  Katechismus  Luthers",  1677;  new  edi- 
tion Berlin  "'1864;  by  Barth.  Ziegenbalg  translated  into  Tamul, 
1719,  revised  Trankebar,  1872.  "Tabulae  Catecheticae",  quibus 
5  capita  catechismi  minoris  et  subnexa  tabula  oeconomica  in 
certa  pensa  distributa  .  . .  tractantur,  1683.  Katechismustabellen, 
uebersetzt  von  J.  G.  Pritius,  1713.  "Gedanken  von  der  Katechis- 
mus-Information", aus  Speners  Schriften  von  einem  Freund  ka- 
techetischer Uebungen  zusammengetragen,  1715.  "Theologische 
Bedenken",  4  parts,  1700 — 1702.  Letzte  theologische  Bedenken, 
1711.  Consilia  et  judicia  theologica  latina,  1709;  a  selection  of 
his  German  and  Latin  Consilia  was  edited  by  F.  A.  E.  Hen- 
nicke,  1838.  His  "Pia  Desideria"  were  published  in  a  con- 
densed nad  modernized  form  by  Gruenberg  in  "Bibliothek  theo- 
log. Klassiker",  1889. — Aug.  Herrn.  Francke:  G.  Kramer,  A.  H. 
Francke,  ein  Lebensbild,  2  vols,  1880— 1882.— M.  E.  Richard, 
Aug.  Herrn.  Francke  and  his  Work,  1897.— G.  F.  Herzberg,  A. 
H.  Francke  und  sein  Hallisches  Waisenhaus,  1898. — O.  Schulze, 
Franckes  Paedagogik,  1898.— A.  Otto,  A.  H.  Francke  IL:  Be- 
urteilung und  Bedeutung  der  Franckeschen  Paedagogik,  1904. — 
G.  Kramör,  Paedagogische  Schriften  Franckes,  21885. — "Der 
kurze  und  einfaeltige  Bericht,  wie  die  Kinder  zur  wahren  Gott- 
seligkeit und  christlicher  Klugheit  anzufuehren  sind  (1702),  ac- 
cording to  the  edition  of  1748  re-edited  by  O.  Frick,  1889.  The 
two  important  School-statutes  of  Francke  are  reprinted  by 
Vormbaum,  pp.  1 — 116. — Johann  Huebner:  F.  Brachmann,  Jo- 
hann Huebner,  Johannei  Rector,  1711 — 1731,  1899;  compare  G. 
v.  Zezschwitz  II  21  chap.  32.— Johann  Jacob  Rambach:  C. 
Bertheau,  J.  Jacob  Rambach,  RE,  1905.  "Dar  Wohlunterrichtete 
Katechet",  1722  (°1730).  School-statutes  for  Darmstadt,  1733, 
reprinted  by  Vormbaum  pp.  343  ff.  "Das  Erbauliche  Hand- 
buechlein  fuer  Kinder"  (1.  Order  of  Salvation;  2.  The  Trea- 
sures of  Salvation;  3.  A  little  Hymn-book;  4.  A  new  Prayer- 
book;   5.  Some  pious    children;   6.  Rules    for   a   Christian  Life; 


146        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

7.  Necessary  rules  for  a  moral  Life),  published  1734,  r,1735  (  !). 
"Der  Wohlunterwiesene  Informator",  containing  not  a  few 
modern  ideas,  published  after  Rambach's  death  by  Neubauer, 
1737,  with  a  good  biographical  introduction.  "Der  Wohlunter- 
richtete Katechet"  and  "Der  Wohlunterwiesene  Informator"  are 
based  on  Rambach's  catechetical  and  paedagogic  Lectures  at 
Jena. — Frederic  the  Great  and  the  Prussian  reglement  for  Coun- 
try-schools :  J.  B.  Meyer,  Friedrich  der  Grosse,  paedagogische 
Schriften  und  Aeusserungen,  21890. — Dr.  Huebler,  Friedrich  der 
Grosse  als  Paedagog,  21900. — E.  Clausnitzer,  Zur  Geschichte  der 
preussischen  Volksschule  unter  Friedrich  dem  Grossen,  1901. — 
A.  Heubaum,  Geschichte  des  deutschen  Bildungswesens  etc., 
1905,  especially  part  4. — E.  Fischer,  Preussische  Volksschul- 
verordnungen, 1907. — H.  Kiehl,  Joh.  Julius  Hecker  (Jahresbe- 
richt des  Wilhelm-Realgymnasiums),  1908. — Val.  Ernst  Loe- 
scher:  M.  von  Engelhart,  Val.  Ernst  Loescher  nach  seinem  Le- 
ben und  Wirken,  -1856. — P.  Schulze,  Zur  Neubegruendung  der 
Dresdener  Volksschule  im  Beginn  des  18.  Jahrhunderts  (Franz 
Wilhelm  Kockel,  Aus  dem  Leben  eines  saechsischen  Schulman- 
nes, pp.  151—176),  1900.— W.  Mueller,  V.  E.  Loescher,  RE, 
1902. — Compare  H.  Stephan,  Neuzeit  (part  4  of  Krueger's  Hand- 
buch der  Kirchengeschichte). — F.  Uhlhorn,  Geschichte  der 
deutsch-lutherischen  Kirche  I,  1911. — P.  Monroe,  Text-book  in 
the  History  of  Education,  1905.—  S.  C.  Parker,  History  of  Mod- 
ern Elementary  Education,  1912. — F.  P.  Graves,  History  of  Edu- 
cation in  Modern  Times,  1913. — F.  P.  Graves,  A  Student's  His- 
tory of  Education  (1915),  1917. 

Spener,  the  Father  of  Pietism  (1635 — 1705),  it  is 
held,  inaugurated  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  religious 
instruction,  the  assertion  being  made  that  it  was  Spener 
and  Pietism  that  once  more  directed  the  attention  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  to  the  necessity  of  educating  its  youth. 
Such  contention,  however,  is  possible  only  for  one  igno- 
rant_of  the  catechetical  labors  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
during  the  periods  between  1530  and  1600  and  between 
1600  and  1676.  Quite  true  it  is  that  Spener  emphati- 
cally stressed  the  duty  of  educating  the  young,  and  that 


Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  1677  to  1750  147 

he  devoted  himself  most  energetically  to  such  task. 
That,  however,  had  been  the  case  also  before  him ;  and 
he  himself  repeatedly  confessed  that  the  strongest  im- 
petus received  by  him  in  this  respect  emanated  from 
Strassburg  with  its  model  arrangements  for  the  care  of 
its  youth.  It  is  likewise  true  that  it  was  a  matter  of 
heart  and  conscience  with  him  to  prompt  the  young  to 
apply  to  heart  and  life  what  had  been  recognized  as  sav- 
ing truth,  and  thus  "to  bring  the  head  down  to  the 
heart".  Accordingly  there  is  a  constant  recurrence  in 
his  catechism  of  the  question  :  "What  comfort  and  in- 
ducement to  godliness  do  I  find  herein?"  On  the  other 
hand,  he  expressly  admits  that  the*  Gotha  and  the  Qued- 
linburg catechisms  are  distinguished  before  others  by 
just  such  elements  of  edification.  It  is  further  true  that 
Spener  insisted  upon  the  use  of  Scripture  during  the 
process  of  instruction  as  the  final  source  from  which  all 
proofs  must  be  drawn;  but  the  self-same  purpose  was 
behind  the  selections  of  Scripture  passages  and  collec- 
tions of  pericopes  in  vogue  elsewhere.  The  only  advance 
made  by  Spener  in  this  respect  is  his  effort  to  put  at  least 
the  New  Testament  into  the  hands  of  the  pupils,  so  that, 
by  looking  up  passages  for  themselves,  they  might  be- 
come better  acquainted  with  the  Bible  itself.  This,  it 
is  admitted,  constituted  an  element  of  progress.  Fin- 
ally also  this  is  true  that  it  was  Spener  who  secured 
general  diffusion  for  confirmation  as  the  concluding  sol- 
emnity of  instruction  for  the  sacrament.  According  to 
Lutheran  principles,  however,  the  chief  feature  of  con- 
firmation is  not  what  Spener  stresses — the  solemnity 
proper  and  the  vow,  but  the  examination  as  to  the  cate- 
chumen's faith  and  knowledge ;  and  this,  with  the  re- 
storation of  the  old  church  regulations  after  the  Thirty 


148       The    Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Years'  War,  had  likewise  been  restored.  In  the  second 
place,  it  was  not  Spener  who  first  dignified  and  devel- 
oped confirmation  as  the  final  solemn  feature  of  the 
process  of  instruction :  he  rather  had  found  it  in  that 
form  in  a  Hessian  village  near  Frankfort-on-Main, 
where,  as  generally  in  Hesse,  it  had  maintained  itself 
ever  since  its  introduction  in  1539,  whereupon  he  in- 
corporated it  in  his  program.  What  is  to  be  affirmed 
of  the  other  counsels  and  impulses  emanating  from  him, 
is  true  also  of  his  catechetical  efforts.  They  must  not 
be  regarded  as  a  voice  in  the  wilderness,  but  rather  as 
one  of  the  high,  penetrating  notes  in  a  concert  of  godly 
desires  and  suggestions  for  improvement.  What  had 
been  advocated  before  him  and  found  advocacy  along- 
side of  him  on  the  part  of  others ;  what,  here  and  there, 
had  long  ago  been  realized  since  the  great  war,  received 
from  Spener  energetic  endorsement ;  and  reinforced  by 
his  weighty  personality,  it  spread  farther  and  farther. 
To  the  title  of  a  reformer  of  religious  instruction,  how- 
ever, he  has  absolutely  no  claim.  The  catechism  pub- 
lished by  him  in  1677  under  the  title  "Simple  Explana- 
tion of  the  Christian  Doctrine",  an  outgrowth  of  his 
catechetical  sermons,  does  not  come  up  to  some  of 
the  catechisms  named  in  chapter  16.  By  largely 
dragging  into  it  matter  of  a  dogmatic  and  devotional 
character,  he  gave  his  book  such  a  size  as  largely  to 
neutralize  its  merit.  Though  primarily  intended,  not  for 
the  young,  but  for  fathers,  school-masters,  and  pastors 
it  exceeded  all  limits  set  by  precedent  and  convenience. 
For  the  dissemination  of  Biblical  History,  in  spite  of  the 
warm  recommendation  he  gave  to  the  Bible,  Spener  did 
nearly  nothing. 

As  to  his  method  of  instruction,  Spener  was  indeed 


Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  1677  to  1750  149 

somewhat  in  advance.  While  he  was  by  no  means  either 
a  model  catechist,  as  can  be  seen  from  his  own  cate- 
chism, or  conversant  with  the  "leading  question",  where- 
by the  unknown  is  reached  through  the  known,  Spener, 
more  resolutely  than  anyone  before  him,  broke  with  the 
mnemonic  method — the  pronunciation  of  ready-made 
answers  until  the  pupil  should  be  able  to  repeat  them, 
and  introduced  the  "dividing"  or  "analyzing  question". 
Thus  at  least  a  logical  division  of  the  subject  matter 
became  possible,  a  method  in  which  his  catechetical 
charts  stood  him  in  good  stead. 

At  the  same  time,  the  disciples  of  Spener,  more 
tli an  he  himself,  started  out  upon  dangerous  paths. 
Confirmation  was  exalted  at  the  expense  of  Baptism, 
being  viewed  as  the  consummation  of  the  second  birth 
through  the  inner  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  of 
which,  as  pietists  taught,  Baptism  constituted  merely  the 
beginning.  Confirmation,  as  the  consummation  of  re- 
generation, was  looked  upon  as  a  renewal  of  the  bap- 
tismal covenant,  to  which  both  God  and  men  were  par- 
ties. The  result  of  such  teaching  was  that  all  other  re- 
ligious instruction  was  secondary  to  that  of  catechu- 
mens, with  confirmation  as  its  concluding  solemnity. 
Moreover,  it  was  considered  the  task  of  the  catechist  to 
lead  the  catechumen  inwardly  through  the  several  stages 
of  the  way  of  salvation  in  such  a  manner  that  vital  ex- 
perience should  accompany  the  process,  until,  in  regen- 
eration and  conversion,  the  new  life  had  broken  through, 
to  find  expression  in  the  vow  henceforth  to  be  God's 
alone.  It  is  manifest  that  such  treatment  of  the  sub- 
ject caused  the  gradual  introduction  to  the  objective 
acts  of  God  and  their  doctrinal  representation  to  recede 
into  the  background,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  sub- 


150        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

jective  element  of  inner  experience  to  be  unduly  stress- 
ed, aside  from  the  emotional  jugglery  and  self-deception 
largely  in  evidence.  Certitude  of  salvation  was  ground- 
ed, not  in  the  objective  act  of  God,  but  rather  in  the 
subjective  experience  of  grace,  notwithstanding  its  ten- 
dency to  instability.  Such  shifting  from  objective  fact 
to  subjective  experience  resulted  in  the  total  departure 
from  the  order  of  the  Catechism  by  many  of  Spener's 
disciples,  who  substituted  therefor  the  so-called  "Ord- 
nungen des  Heils" — successive  stages  of  the  order  of 
salvation,  an  expedient  much  in  vogue  until  about 
1750. 

Among  the  catechisms  patterned  upon  that  of 
Spener  and,  at  the  same  time,  sound  in  doctrine,  special 
mention  should  be  made  of  the  Dresden  "Cross  Cate- 
chism", which  has  been  in  use  at  many  places  of  both 
Germany  and  America  down  to  the  present,  and  of  that 
of  Flensburg.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Herford  Cate- 
chism of  1690  and  that  of  Mecklenburg  of  1717  have 
kept  rather  free  from  such  influence.  The  latter,  al- 
though in  revised  form,  and  here  and  there  also  the  for- 
mer, have  been  in  use  to  this  day.  In  Wurtemberg  there 
came. into  vogue  from  this  time  on  the  "Booklet  for 
Catechumens",  based  on  the  "Booklet  for  Communi- 
cants" by  Osiander  (1590),  and  the  "Instruction  for 
Children"  by  Val.  Andreae  (1621),  revised  (1723). 
by  Hiemer,  a  work  which,  in  its  revised  form  is  today 
yet  the  basis  for  catechetical  instruction,  while  the  Brenz- 
Luther  Catechism  is  employed  for  other  religious  in- 
struction in  both   church  and  school. 

Influenced  in  part  by  Spener,  in  part  also  from 
Gotha,  where  he  had  been  reared,  although  the  influence 
of  other  men,  opponents  of  dead  orthodoxy,  cannot  be 


Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  1677  to  1750  151 

questioned,  was  August  Hermann  Francke,  the  great 
educator  and  theologian,  whose  activity  was,  at  many 
points  in  Germany,  a  great  blessing  for  the  cause  of 
school  and  religion.  His  orphanage  school  soon  devel- 
oped into  a  veritable  model.  In  accordance  with  the 
Gotha  precedent,  he  made  room  for  scientific  branches ; 
for  it  was  his  opinion  that  a  child  should  not  only  be 
possessed  of  a  good  handwriting  but  also  be  able  to 
write  a  letter  independently,  and,  in  addition,  have  the 
needed  knowledge  of  its  natural  environment — of  geo- 
graphy and  history,  even  of  the  elements  of  surveying, 
besides  manual  skill  in  knitting  and  patching,  which 
was  deemed  requisite  for  boys  as  well  as  girls.  One 
half  of  the  time  devoted  to  instruction,  however,  was 
given  to  religion,  which  accounts  for  the  presence  of  the 
same  features  that  Duke  Ernest  had  introduced  in  the 
Gotha  country.  More  stress,  however,  was  laid  upon 
training  in  prayer ;  the  Catechism  was  analyzed  and  ap- 
plied by  the  question  method ;  and  the  Bible  was  not 
only  daily  read  in  school  and  explained  to  the  intellect 
through  appropriate  comments,  but  also  a  survey  of  the 
book  both  as  a  whole  and  in  detail  was  given  together 
with  instruction  in  regard  to  its  devotional  use.  In 
the  higher  school — paedagogium — additional  lessons  in 
Biblical  History  were  given  in  accordance  with  Castellio 
and  Fabricius.  From  all  over  Germany  pupils  con- 
gregated in  the  Halle  institutions,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  being  educated  as  teachers  in  the  Paedagogium 
or  the  Normal  School.  These,  when  they  subsequently 
took  positions  here  and  there  in  the  States  of  Germany, 
and  Normal  Schools,  established  elsewhere  upon  the 
model  of  the  Halle  institutions,  secured  for  the  views  of 
Francke  wide  publicity.    So  fertile  was  the  soil  in  which 


152        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

they  became  imbedded  that  they  were  largely  incorpo- 
rated into  the  Prussian  Regulations  for  Country  Schools 
(1763),  which  were  in  force  throughout  Prussia,  and 
after  1773  also  into  the  school  regulations  of  Saxony. 
Therewith  the  principles  of  the  Halle  institutions,  much 
changed,  it  is  true,  had  conquered  all  Germany. 

In  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  instruc- 
tion in  Biblical  History  gained  ground  also  in  the  pub- 
lic schools.  In  1711  wre  find  it  enjoined  upon  the  schools 
of  Dresden,  in  1713  upon  those  of  Electoral  Saxony, 
in  1716  upon  those  of  Prussia.  In  1714  appeared  the 
'Twice  Fifty-two  Stories  from  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testaments",  a  book  composed  by  Huebner,  a  Ham- 
burg School  Superintendent.  While  it  was  not,  as  has 
been  claimed,  the  first  Biblical  History,  its  well  selected 
material  and  the  questions  appended  to  it,  made  this 
book  a  great  favorite  till  far  into  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. In  the  Prussian  Regulations  for  Country  Schools 
above  mentioned,  Saturday  was  fixed  as  the  day  for  in- 
struction in  Biblical  History.  The  eminent  Valentine 
Loescher  also,  a  member  of  the  orthodox  school,  ad- 
vocated the  re-introduction  of  Biblical  History  as  a 
branch  of  religious  instruction.  In  the  first  quarter  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  probably  under  the  influence  of 
Francke,  lectures  on  catechetical  theology  began  to  ap- 
pear in  the  universities,  with  Buddeus  and  Rambach  as 
first  lecturers. 

18.     Religious   Instruction  in  the   Church   During   the 
Period  of  Rationalism   (About  1750—1830). 

Ph.  H.  Schuler,  Geschichte  des  katech.  Religionsunterrichts, 
1802,  pp.  226  ff.— G.  v.  Zezschwitz  II  21,  ch.  17.  18.— Schumann- 
Sperber,  pp.  61— 87.— J.  Steinheck,  pp.  48— 53.— K.  F.  A.  Kahnis, 
Der   innere   Gang  des   deutschen   Protestantismus,   31874. — K.  v. 


Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  1750  to  1830  153 

Raumer,  Geschicht'e  der  Paedagogik  II.  G1897. — Chr.  E.  Luthardt, 
Der  Rationalismus  im  Gebiet  der  Schule  (Moderne  Weltan- 
schauungen), "1891.— M.  Schian,  Die  Sokratik  im  Zeitalter  der 
Aufklaerung,  1900.— Christ.  Wolff  and  his  Theology:  H.  Ste- 
phan, Christ.  Wolff,  RE,  1908.— Johann  Lorenz  Mosheim:  K. 
Heussi,  J.  L.  Mosheim.  1906.— Joh.  Bernh.  Basedow:  G.  Hahn, 
Basedow  und  sein  Verhaeltnis  zu  Rousseau,  1885. — O.  H.  Lang, 
Basedow,  his  life  and  educational  work,  1891.— H.  Lorentz,  Ent- 
wicklung und  Bedeutung  der  Paedagogik  Basedows  (Jahn— 
Fleckeisen's  Jahrbuecher),  1893. — A.  Pinloche,  Geschichte  des 
Philanthropinismus,  1896.— Dr.  Bahlke,  Die  Stellung  der  Phi- 
lanthropisten  zum  Religionsunterricht,  1901. — J.  B.  Basedow's 
paedagogisebe  Schriften,  ed.  by  H.  Goering,  1880. — J.  J.  Rous- 
seau: His  Emile,  or  treatise  on  Education  is  translated  into 
English  by  W.  H.  Payne,  1893.— W.  Boyd,  The  Educational 
Theory  of  Rousseau,  1911.— Karl  Friedr.  Bahrt:  G.  Frank,  K. 
Fr.  Bahrt  (Raumers  Historisches  Taschenbuch),  1866. — L.  Ley- 
ser,  K.  Fr,  Bahrt,  der  Zeitgenosse  Pestalozzis,  sein  Verhaeltnis 
zum  Philanthropismus  und  zur  neueren  Paedagogik,  21870. — 
Moses  Mendelsohn,  Phaedon  oder  lieber  die  Unsterblichkeit  der 
Seele.  1767  (Reprint  in  Reclam's  Universalbibliothek).— Chr.  G. 
Salzmann:  E.  Ackermann,  Salzmanns  ausgewaehlte  Schriften,  2 
vols,  21901.— Besides  his  "Krebsbuechlein"  (1780,  reprint  in 
Reclam),  "Ameisenbuechlein"  (1806,  reprint  in  Reclam),  and 
"Konrad  Kiefer"  (1796)  must  be  compared,  especially:  "Ueber 
die  wirksamsten  Mittel,  Kindern  Religion  beizubringen"  (1780, 
new  edition  by  P.  Schuetze,  1905),  and  "Die  Familie  Ehren- 
fried, oder  erster  Unterricht  in  der  Sittenlehre  fuer  Kinder  von 
8 — 10  Jahren  (1808);  "Heinrich  Gottschalk  in  seiner  Familie, 
oder  erster  Unterricht  fuer  Kinder  von  10—12  Jahren"  (1804)  ; 
"Christliche  Hauspostille",  1792—93.  Compare  also  Bahlke's 
publication  mentioned  above.— Johann  Heinrich  Pestalozzi:  L. 
W.  Seyffarth,  J.  H.  Pestalozzi  nach  seinem  Leben  und  seinen 
Schriften  dargestellt  (1872),  61903.— H.  Kruesi,  Pestalozzi,  his 
life,  work  and  influence,  1875. — A.  Pinloche,  Pestalozzi  and  the 
foundation  of  the  Modern  Elementary  School,  1901.— P.  Natorp, 
J.  H.  Pestalozzi,  3  vols,  1905.— W.  S.  Monroe,  History  of  the 
Pestalozzian  Movement  in  the  United  States,  1907.— J.  Natorp, 
Pestalozzi,  sein  Leben  und  seine  Ideen  (1908),  21912.— H.  Hol- 
man,  Pestalozzi.  1908.— J.  A.  Green,  Life  and  Work  of  Pestalozzi, 


154        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

1913.— H.  Debes,  Das  Christentum  Pestalozzis,"  1880.— L.  W.  Seyf- 
farth,  Saemtliche  Werke  Pestalozzis,  12  vols,  1899— 1902.— F. 
Mauer,  Ausgewaehlte  Werke,  4  vols,  51897 — 1906.— J.  A.  Green, 
Pestalozzis  Educational  Writings,  1912. — "Abendstunde  eines 
Einsiedlers"  (1780),  reprinted  in  Ostermann,  Paedagogisches 
Lesebuch.  1905.— "Lienhard  und  Gertrud"  (1/81—1787),  reprint 
in  Reclam;  translated  and  abridged  by  Eva  Channing,  1896. — 
"Wie  Gertrud  ihre  Kinder  lehrt"  (1801),  reprint  in  Reclam; 
English  translation  by  L.  E.  Holland  and  Fr.  C.  Turner,  1898. 
— A.  Israel,  Pestalozzi-Bibliographie,  3  vols,  1903. — Gust.  Friedr. 
Dinter:  Chr.  Palmer,  G.  Fr.  Dinter  (K.  A.  Schmidt's  Enzy- 
klnpaedie),  21878. — W.  Am&lungk,  Dinters  Grundsaetze  der  Er- 
ziehung und  des  Unterrichts,  1881. — Fr.  Seidel,  Dinters  Schriften 
in  Auswahl,  -1887— 1889.— A.  Schultz,  G.  Fr.  Dinter,  Sein  Leben 
u.  seine  Schriften,  1908r— Fr.  H.  Chr.  Schwarz:  K.  B.  Hun- 
deshagen, F.  H.  Chr.  Schwarz.  RE,  1906.— F.  D.  E.  Schleier- 
macher: A.  Heubaum,  F.  D.  E.  Schleiermacher  (Rein's  enzy- 
klopaedisches  Handbuch  der  Paedagogik),  21902. — G.  von  Roh- 
den,  Schleiermachers  Paedagogik,  1884. — E.  Platz,  Schleierma- 
chers paedagogische  Schriften,  •,1902. — Compare:  H.  Stephan, 
Neuzeit  (vol.  4  of  Krueger's  Handbuch  der  Kirchengeschichte), 
1909. — F.  Uhlhorn,  Geschichte  der  deutsch-lutherischen  Kirche 
II.  1911. — P.  Monroe,  Text-book  in  the  History  of  Education, 
1905. — F.  P.  Graves,  History  of  Education  in  Modern  Times, 
1913. — S.  C.  Parker,  History  of  Modern  Elementary  Education, 
1912,-F.  P.  Graves,  A  Student's  History  of  Education  (1915), 
1917. 

Owing  to  the  influence  of  subjectivism,  which  grad- 
ually came  to  dominate  the  disciples  of  Spener,  there 
arose  a  new  school  which  was  soon  to  work  its  will  in 
the  Church,  that  of  Christian  Wolff  (1679—1754).  Be- 
ginning with  the  application  to  church  doctrine  of  the 
method  of  mathematical  demonstration,  in  all  sincerity, 
it  is  admitted,  the  original  fidelity'of  this  school  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  Church  could  not  prevent  it  eventually 
from  making  reason  the  arbiter  of  revelation,  thus  be- 
coming the  mother  of  that  rationalism  which  ultimately 


Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  17:50  to  1830  155 

recognized  no  other  source  of  knowledge  than  reason 
alone,  and  whose  ethics  was  the  rankest  utilitarianism. 
While,  at  first,  there  was  a  faithful  transmission  of 
doctrine  also  in  the  sphere  of  catechetics,  the  view  was 
entertained  that  the  hidden  life  therein  was  to  be  found 
and  set  forth  by  means  of  analysis  (Loesecke,  Baum- 
garten).  The  fact  is  that  reason  was  not  invariably 
even  taught  to  think,  while  no  permanent  influence  at 
all  was  exerted  upon  the  will.  Wherever  subsequently 
the  principles  of  the  so-called  philanthropist  Basedow 
attained  to  vital  influence,  there  followed  presently  an 
open  break  with  biblical  truth ;  and  the  demand  was 
made  for  the  withdrawal  of  Luther's  Catechism  and  the 
substitution  of  other  text-books.  This  is  not  surprising 
when  we  remember  that  Basedow,  while  arousing  wide 
interest  in  the  school,  made  it  his  purpose  to  dissolve 
the  old  bond  of  union  between  Church  and  school  and 
to  restrict  the  scope  of  education  to  useful  citizenship 
in  this  present  world, — a  purpose  which  he  endeavored 
to  carry  out  by  removing  confessional  teaching  from 
the  curriculum  and  confining  instruction  to  mere  ethics. 
That  there  is  no  morality  after  the  mind  of  God  save 
upon  the  basis  of  true  religion,  and  no  permanent  power 
for  good  save  as  it  is  rooted  in  the  heact,  had  been  for- 
gotten. Even  where  orthodox  doctrine  was  insisted 
upon  throughout ;  and,  accordingly,  Luther's  Catechism 
was  not  withheld,  there  was  no  organic  unfolding  of  its 
substance.  Independent  dogmatic  and  ethical  exposi- 
tions, anything  but  congruous,  were  added  to  the  Cate- 
chism, while  the  very  heart  of  saving  Christian  truth — 
faith  in  the  crucified  and  risen  One  as  the  sole  root  of  a 
true  moral  life,  was  expunged  or,  at  least,  concealed. 
Questions  that  continue  to  make  their  spectral  appear- 


156        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  instruction 

ance  in  some  catechetical  expositions  of  the  present  day, 
such  as:  "How  many  religions  are  there?" — "What  is 
natural  religion?" — "What  are  the  sources  of  religion 
additional  to  Scripture?",  and  the  dividing  of  "duties" 
into  "the  love  of  God,  the  love  of  self,  and  the  love  of 
the  neighbor",  are  a  remainder  of  the  heritage  from  that 
period.  The  Hanoverian  Catechism  of  1790,  Seiler's 
Catechism  of  1779,  long  in  use  in  Bavaria,  are  to  be 
accounted  as  better  representatives  of  this  type  of  cate- 
chism. Men  like  Salzmann  in  Schnepfenthal  (Thurin- 
gia),  and  Dinter  of  Koenigsberg  (1760 — 1831)  should 
be  named  as  strong  exponents  of  these  ideas.  While 
Dinter  tries  to  adjust  himself  in  some  way  to  the  bibli- 
cal standpoint,  the  catechetical  works  of  Parisius, 
Mayer,  and  others  betray  a  lamentable  religious  vacu- 
ity, in  that  they  serve  as  medium  for  a  deistic  natural 
philosophy  and  anthropology  rather  than  for  saving 
Christian  truth. 

Notwithstanding,  this  period  marks  an  advance  be- 
yond all  the  catechetical  labors  of  the  past,  and  is,  with- 
in the  limits  defined,  to  be  considered  as  the  foundation 
of  the  better  conditions  obtaining  in  the  present.  Ac- 
cording to  what  has  been  said,  the  improvement,  is  not, 
indeed,  to  be  found  in  the  sphere  of  the  material  of  in- 
struction, but  rather  in  that  of  didactic  method,  although 
even  in  the  former  we  come  occasionally  upon  a  com- 
mendable restriction  of  the  subject  matter  of  instruction 
to  that  which  is  essential  for  religious  life.  Such  educa- 
tional method  being  linked  to  that  of  Socrates,  who,  pur- 
suant to  obstetrical  methods,  endeavored  to  draw  forth 
into  the  light  of  day  the  germs  of  truth  slumbering  in  the 
minds  of  his  disciples,  it  has  been  called  the  Socratic 
method.      Mosheim    already,    in    his    "Ethics    of    Holy 


Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  1/50  to  1830  157 

Scripture",  which  appeared  in  1735,  had  recommended 
the  application  of  the  educational  method  of  Socrates  to 
the  religious  training  of  the  young.  His  method  pro- 
ceeded upon  the  postulate,  however,  that,  in  accordance 
with  precedent,  the  matter  of  instruction  must  first  be 
imbedded  in  the  memory,  whereupon  it  is  to  be  made  a 
matter  of  the  understanding  through  the  question  me- 
thod, for  the  purpose  of  rendering  possible  the  forma- 
tion of  convictions  and  a  life  rooted  in  virtue.  Mos- 
heim's  ideas,  however,  remained  without  demonstrable 
effect  upon  the  catechetical  polity  of  the  decades  imme- 
diately following.  The  introduction  of  the  so-called 
Socratic  method  came  later.  The  chief  factors  that 
brought  it  about  are  Basedow  (Method  of  Instruction, 
etc.,  1764),  the  Zurich  Questions  of  1772,  and  a  work 
of  the  frivolous  and  licentious  C.  F.  Bahrt  (1776),  which 
he  called  "Philanthropinischer  Erziehungsplan" — Phil- 
anthropy as  Basal  Educational  Factor;  nor  should 
Moses  Mendelsohn's  "Phaedon"  of  1767  be  forgotten  in 
this  connection.  So  far  as  the  original  representatives 
at  least  are  concerned,  it  was  the  aim  of  this  method  to 
draw  forth  from  the  child  by  skilful  questions  the  sev- 
eral articles  of  faith  and  ethical  principles,  without  hav- 
ing previously  put  anything  into  it.  This  method  was 
based  upon  the  view  that  everything  is  found  in  the 
child,  albeit  hazy  and  inchoate.  However  erroneous 
this  conception,  and  however  ineffective  in  attaining  to 
anything  beyond  the  confines  of  natural  religion  wher- 
ever its  principles  were  consistently  applied,  yet  one 
important  result  was  achieved :  war  was  declared  most 
energetically  upon  irrational,  mechanical  memorizing. 
The  proposition:  "Nothing  is  to  be  memorized  unless 
it  be  understood",  may  have  been  given  at  times  one- 


158        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

sided  application;  but  it  turned  out  to  be  a  true  guid- 
ing principle,  in  that  there  has  been  developed  an  educa- 
tional method  which  addresses  itself  to  the  intellect  of 
the  child,  trains  it  for  mental  co-operation,  and  enables 
it,  by  the  dialectic  method  of  questions  leading  from 
the  known  to  the  unknown,  from  the  near  to  the  dis- 
tant, to  achieve  results.  By  taking  the  child  into  part- 
nership in  the  work  upon  its  mind,  its  interest — its  men- 
tal presence  and  sympathy — is  aroused;  thus  the  method 
in  question  becomes  of  the  greatest  moment  for  its 
whole  future  development.  The  greatest  achievement 
in  this  respect  is  to  be  attributed  to  Dinter,  who,  despite 
his  rationalism,  more  than  any  other  representative  of 
the  Socratic  method,  proceeded,  not  from  the  child's 
emptiness  but  from  biblical  postulates.  About  the  dia- 
lectic method  of  instruction  much  can  be  learned  today 
yet  from  his  "Discourses  upon  the  Chief  Parts  of  Lu- 
ther's Catechism"  (1806  ff.). 

While  the  Socratic  method  enjoyed  full  sway  till 
the  turn  of  the  century,  a  counter  movement  was  ush- 
ered in  at  the  beginning  of  the  new.  Its  protagonist  was 
Pestalozzi  ("How  Gertrude  Teaches  her  Children"  ap- 
peared in  1801).  Although  in  many  respects  occupying 
common  ground  with  the  Socratic  method,  Pestalozzi 
intended  to  reach  not  only  the  head  but  the  whole  man, 
including  the  heart.  Accordingly,  instead  .of  but  occa- 
sionally drawing  upon  the  intuitive  faculty,  he  desired 
to  make  the  principle  of  intuition  fundamental  to  the  ed- 
ucational system.  The  movement  was  furthered  by 
Schwarz,  of  Heidelberg,  through  his  influential  "Cate- 
chetics"  (1818),  wherein,  notwithstanding  all  his  con- 
cessions to  the  Socratic  dialectic  method,  the  fact  is 
stressed  that  there  is  much  in  religious  instruction  which 


Religious  Instruction  in  the  Church  1750  to  1830  159 

postulates  another  source  than  something  already  in  the 
soul.  After  also  Schleiermacher  (1764 — 1834),  not- 
withstanding his  demand  for  the  retention  of  the  dia- 
lectic method,  had  lifted  up  his  mighty  voice  against  the 
Socratic  method,  the  Socratic  period,  so  closely  linked 
to  rationalism,  was  at  an  end;  and,  far  and  wide,  men 
returned  to  the  faith  and  theology  of  revelation.  For 
Schleiermacher  had  maintained  that  the  acroamatic  me- 
thod had  to  go  hand  in  hand  with  the  dialectic,  since 
the  teaching  of  general  truths  to  the  children  was  not 
sufficient : — Evangelical  Christians  they  are  to  be,  who. 
at  the  end  of  instruction,  are  to  recognize  as  their  own 
the  faith  of  the  Church,  as  summarized  in  the  Apostolic 
Creed. 

19.     Catechetical  Labors  Since  the  Renewal  of  Faith. 
Since  About  1830. 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  II  2\  ch.  34—50;  II  2-,  ch.  19.— Schumann- 
Sperber,  pp.  83 — 122. — J.  Steinbeck,  pp.  53 — 63. — G.  Thomasius, 
Das  Wiedererwachen  des  evangelischen  Lebens  in  Bayern,  1867. 
— R.  Rocholl,  Geschichte  der  evangelischen  Kirche,  1897. — G. 
Ecke,  Die  evangelischen  Landeskirchen  Deutschlands  im  19. 
Jahrhundert,  2  vols.  1897  and  1904.— H.  Stephan,  Die  Neuzeit 
(vol.  4  of  Krueger's  Handbuch  der  Kirchengeschichte),  1909. — 
Fr.  Uhlhorn,  Geschichte  der  deutsch-lutherischen  Kirche  II, 
1911. — F.  Schindler,  Kritischer  Wegweiser  durch  die  Literatur 
des  Konfirmandenunterrichts  etc.,  1899. — F.  Cohrs,  Katechis- 
musunterricht, RE,  1901. — H.  Scherer,  Fuehrer  durch  die  Stroe- 
mungen  auf  dem  Gebiet  der  Paedagogik  und  ihrer  Hilfswis- 
senschaften, part  II  :  Religions-  und  Moralunterricht,  1907. — 
J.  Berndt,  Methodik  des  Unterrichts  in  der  evangelischen  Re- 
ligion, pp.  131 — 140,  1909. — H.  Lewin,  Geschichte  der  Entwick- 
lung der  preussischen  Volksschule,  1910. — W.  Ostermann,  Ge- 
schichte der  Paedagogik,  pp.  120—291,  -*01910.— E.  Thraendorf, 
Allgemeine  Methodik  des  Religionsunterrichts,  pp.  14 — 36,  51912. 
— Wilhelm  Harnisch:  R.  Rissmann,  W.  Harnisch  in  seiner 
Bedeutung  fner  die   Entwicklung  der  deutschen  Volksschulpae- 


160        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

dagogik,  1887.— Metzmacher,  Weiter-  und  Umbildung  der  Pes- 
talozzischen  Grundsaetze  durch  Harnisch,  1901. — Harnisch's 
'Volksschulwesen"  has.  been  republished  by  Bartels,  1893. — 
F.  A.  W.  Diesterweg:  G.  Voigt,  Diesterweg  und  die  evangeli- 
sche Volksschule,  1891.— E.  v.  Sallwuerk,  Leben,  Lehre  und  aus- 
gewaehlte  Schriften  Diesterwegs,  3  vols,  1899 — 1900. — Johann 
Fr.  Herbart:  W.  Kinkel,  Joh.  Fr.  Herbart,  sein  Leben  und 
sein  Wirken.  1903.— O.  Fluegel,  Herbarts  Leben  und  Lehren, 
1907. — G.  Voigt,  Die  Bedeutung  der  Herbartschen  Paedagogik 
fuer  die  Volksschule,  41908.— Ch.  de  Garmo,  Herbart  and  Her- 
bartianism.  1895. — Chr.  Ufer,  Introduction  to  the  paedagogy  of 
Herbart,  ed.  by  Ch.  de  Garmo,  1894.— W.  J.  Eckoff,  Herbart's 
A  B  C  of  sense-perception,  1896. — Sallwuerk  and  Bartholomaei, 
Herbart's  paedagogische  Schriften.  2  vols,  71903  and  1906. — 
H.  M.  and  E.  Felkin,  Herbart's  Science  of  Education,  trans- 
lated, with  a  biographical  introduction,  1895. — Tuiskon  Ziller: 
T.  Ziller,  Grundlegung  zur  Lehre  vom  erziehenden  Unterricht, 
1865.— T.  Ziller,  Allgemeine  Paedagogik,  21892.— T.  Ziller,  Ein- 
leitung in  die  allgemeine  Paedagogik,  21901. — G.  Froehlich,  Die 
wissenschaftliche  Paedagogik  Herbart-Ziller-Stoy's,  1901. — E. 
v.  Sallwuerk,  Das  Ende  der  Zillerschen  Schule,  1904. — Com- 
pare the  short  but  good  chapter  on  Herbartianism  in  F.  P. 
Graves,  A  Student's  History  of  Education,  1915,  pp.  333 — 369; 
and  the  excellent  chapter  on  The  Herbartians  in :  S.  Ch.  Park- 
er, History  of  Modern  Elementary  Education,  pp.  375 — 430,  1912. 
— F.  W.  Doerpfeld:  A.  Carnap,  F.  W.  Doerpfeld.  Aus  seinen 
Leben  und  Wirken.  -1905.— E.  Hindrichs,  F.  W.  Doerpfeld,  21906. 
— F.  Wienstein,  F.  W.  Doerpfeld.  Sein  Leben  und  seine  Schrif- 
ten, 21907.— Doerpfeld's  gesammelte  Schriften,  12  vols.  1894  ff. 
Of  importance  are:  "Denken  und  Gedaechtnis",  ]O1906;  Der 
didaktische  Materialismus,  r,1915;  Religioeses  und  Religions- 
unterrichtliches, 21895;  Zur  Methodik  des  Religionsunterrichts. 
r,1906. — Compare,  especially,  the  historical  articles  in:  Rein, 
Enzyklopaedisches  Handbuch  der  Paedagogik.  21902  ff.;  also 
W.  Rein,  A.  Pickel  and  E.  Scheller,  Theorie  und  Praxis  des 
Volksschulunterrichts  nach  Herbarts  Grundsaetzen,  8  vols, 
3— r>  1901— 1908.— History  and  Practice  of  Sunday  Schools  in 
Germany:  H.  Dalton,  Geschichte,  Wesen  und  Weise  der  evan- 
gelischen Sonntagsschule,  1887. — H.  von  der  Goltz,  Das  Be- 
duerfnis    besonderer    Jugendgottesdienste,    1888. — Reinhard,    Zur 


Catechetical  Labors  Since  the  Renewal  of  Faith  I'd 

Geschichte  der  Kindergottesdienste  und  Sonntagsschulen  in 
Deutschland,  1888. — L.  Tiesmeyer,  Die  Praxis  der  Sonntags- 
schule.  1877.— F.  Dibelius,  Der  Kindergottesdienst,  1881.— AI. 
Schümann,  Der  Kindergottesd'ienst  in  seiner  gesteigerten  Be- 
deutung fuer  Gegenwart  und  Zukunft  der  evangelischen  Kirche, 
1909.— Der  Sonntagsschulfreund,  ed.  by  Fleischmann,  1869 — 
1918. — Der  Kindergottesdienst,  ed.  by  Tiesmeyer,  Zauleck,  and 
Volkmann,    1891—1918. 

While  rationalism  ruled  church  and  school,  the  old 
catechisms,  which  had  largely  maintained  their  hold 
upon  the  home,  remained  in  those  dreary  days  the  sup- 
ply of  food.  Quite  a  number  of  catechetical  works  with 
biblical  content  having  appeared  as  early  as  the  first 
quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century,  there  occurred,  since 
1830,  a  general  return  to  the  faith  of  the  fathers,  and  a 
training  of  the  young  in  an  evangelical,  often  even  a 
confessionally  Lutheran,  sense.  Far  and  wide  in  North 
Germany  the  influence  of  Nitzsch,  Klaus  Harms,  and 
Hengstenberg  was  felt,  while  Southern  Germany  ex- 
perienced that  of  Brandt,  Bomhard,  Thomasius,  Har- 
less,  and  Loehe.  Harnisch,  in  order  to  combat  the  in- 
fluence of  Dinter,  wrote  in  Prussian  territory  his  "Aid 
for  Teachers" — Hilfsbuch  fuer  Lehrer  (1834)  ;  Ru- 
delbach advocated  in  Saxony  the  restoration  of  the  prac- 
tice of  "Christenlehre" — instruction  in  evangelical  doc- 
trine on  Sunday  afternoon  (1840)  ;  Ackermann 
strove  in  Bavaria  for  the  chief  parts  of  the  Old  Church 
faith,  that  is,  for  the  truths  restored  by  the  Reforma- 
tion ;  while  Boeckh  issued  a  fine  explanation  of  the  Cate- 
chism. In  1845  Loehe  published  his  splendid  catechism. 
However,  instead  of  yielding  to  the  temptation  to  in- 
troduce into  the  catechism  once  more  the  whole  ancient 
bulk  of  dogmatics,  as  might  have  been  expected  from 
the  universal  return  to  the  theology  of  the  fathers,  he 


162        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

gave  expression  to  the  important  principle  that  cate- 
chetical instruction  should  be  restricted  to  the  task  of 
setting  forth  the  treasure  contained  in  the  wording  of 
the  Enchiridion  according  to  the  rules  of  Exegetics.  It 
was  Jaspis,  of  Pomerania,  who  recalled  the  other  truth, 
that  Biblical  History  is  the  best  illustrative  material  for 
instruction  in  the  Catechism  (1850)  ;  and  in  Mecklen- 
burg-Strelitz  a  splendid  catechism  was  introduced  in 
1849.  Between  1850  and  1860  the  number  of  confession- 
al Lutheran  catechisms  increased  steadily.  Special  men- 
tion should  be  made  of  Caspari  in  regard  to  Bavaria,  of 
Ernesti  in  regard  to  Brunswick,  of  Seebold  in  regard 
to  Hanover,  of  Nielsen  in  regard'  to  Schleswig-Holstein. 
But  within  the  Union,  too,  there  was  considerable  ac- 
tivity, Baden,  for  instance,  receiving  an  excellent  cate- 
chism in  1856,  which  served  as  a  foundation  for  the 
one  which  later  came  into  vogue  in  the  Rhine  country. 
Wuertemberg  remodeled  its  exposition  of  the  Brenz- 
Luther  Catechism  and  revised  its  "Booklet  for  Cate- 
chumens". Catechetical  instruction  became  the  order 
of  the  day  in  the  school  curricula ;  and  most  of  the  old 
educational  appliances  in  church  and  school,  although 
in  changed  form,  were  resuscitated.  The  several  State 
Churches  issued  territorial  catechetical  expositions. 
Bulky  manuals  appeared  for  the  service  of  teachers  and 
pastors,  for  instance,  those  by  Wangemann,  Arndt, 
Kaehler,  Nissen.  Catechetical  sermons,  too,  came  into 
use  once  more,  those  of  Loehe,  Heubner,  Ahlfeld,  and 
Caspari  possessing  special  excellence.  The  origin  of 
Luther's  Catechism  is  investigated;  the  oldest  editions 
of  it,  as  far  as  attainable,  are  edited  (Harnack,  Moencke- 
berg,  and  Schneider)  ;  also  collections  of  parables  and 
stories  are  issued  as  illustrative  material  (for  instance, 


Catechetical  Lahors  Since-  the  Renewal  of  Faith  163 

Cäsp.ari,  "Geistliches  und  Weltliches").  Among  the  ex- 
positions between  I860  and  1870  special  eminence  per- 
tains to  Buchrucker's  Exposition  and  his  Catechetical 
Manual  (Der  Katechismusunterricht),  wherein  he  en- 
ergetically advocates  the  dialectic  method.  From  among 
the  vast  multitude  of  catechetical  works  issued  in  the 
following  decades  for  children,  we  select  as  most  worthy 
of  special  mention  those  by  Steinmetz  and  Beck.  From 
among  the  works  issued  for  teachers  we  select  particu- 
larly those  by  Schuetze,  Muenchmeyer,  Schumann, 
Zezschwitz,  and  Steinmetz,  together  with  the  "Exposi- 
tion of  the  Catechism"  by  Kaftan,  which  deserves  the 
palm  for  its  exquisite  discrimination  in  regard  to  mate- 
rial. Among  the  works  of  the  school  of  Ritschl,  that 
by  B.  Doerries,  "The  Faith",  is  most  instructive.  Just 
at  present,  a  strong  current  in  modern  pedagogy  and 
theology  makes  once  more  for  the  elimination  of  the 
Small  Catechism  from  the  instruction  of  the  young; 
compare  ch.  35. 

A  phase  of  the  renewal  of  faith  in  this  period  was  a 
steadily  increasing  appreciation  of  Biblical  History  as 
educational  material.  If,  in  contrast  to  the  tendency  of 
rationalism  to  make  reason  the  arbiter  of  religion,  reve- 
lation was  to  be  stressed  as  the  basis  of  religion,  the  in- 
troduction to  the  history  of  revelation  and  thereby  to 
the  historic  genesis  of  Christianity  logically  follows  as 
an  integral  part  of  the  education  of  the  young.  Espe- 
cially Harnisch  and  Zahn  laid  stress  upon  this  feature. 
It  was  the  former  who  emphasized  the  truth  that  the 
proper  foundation  for  a  profitable  instruction  in  the 
catechism  was  Biblical  History.  In  the  public  schools, 
instruction  in  Biblical  History  was  confined  to  the  treat- 
ment of  selected  stories,  whose  content  was  committed 


164        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

to  memory  by  the  children  and  brought  home  to  their 
understanding  through  devotional  explanations.  Nis- 
sen, in  his  "Talks  upon  Biblical  History" — Unterredun- 
gen ueber  die  biblische  Geschichte,  has  given  to  the 
teacher  valuable  hints  in  this  respect.  The  Bible  stories 
of  old  Huebner  (1714)  and  those  issued  by  the  Calw 
Publication  House  served  far  and  wide  as  text-books. 
For  the  higher  schools,  however,  a  connected  introduc- 
tion into  the  "History  of  the  Kingdom  of  God"  was  re- 
quired— a  need  that  was  met  by  the  text-books  of  Har- 
nisch, Zahn,  and,  later,  also  of  Kurtz  and  Thomasius. 
As  manual  for  mothers  and  other  instructors  of  the 
little  ones  served  largely  Franz  Wiedemann's  "How  I 
Tell  my  Children  the  Stories  of  the  Bible".  In  propor- 
tion as  the  views  of  the  great  scriptural  theologian  Hof- 
mann,  of  Erlangen,  became  common  property,  it  was 
deemed  desirable  in  the  interest  of  public  school  educa- 
tion to  combine  the  individual  stories  into  a  coherent 
presentation  of  the  plan  of  salvation,  at  least  in  the 
upper  classes.  It  was  particularly  Buchrucker's  merit 
to  be  an  advocate  of  this  plan,  and,  as  a  concrete  expres- 
sion of  his  views,  to  compose  an  excellent  manual  for 
the  pupil  in  the  form  of  his  "Bible  History",  and  for  the 
teacher  in  the  form  of  his  "Instruction  in  Bible  His- 
tory". Where  this  scope  was  deemed  too  wide,  stress 
was  laid,  at  least  in  the  upper  class,  upon  the  presenta- 
tion of  Bible  characters.  Especially  the  labors  of 
Wangemann  were  influential  in  this  respect.  At  the  pre- 
sent time  so  much  stress  is  laid  upon  instruction  in  Bibli- 
cal History  that  it  has  been  urged  to  postpone  instruction 
in  the  Catechism  to  the  upper  grade.  Of  late  the 
trend  in  modern  pedagogy  and  theology  is  perceived 
also  in  the  teaching-  of  Biblical  History,  in  that  to  the 


Catechetical  Labors  Since  the  Renewal  of  Faith  165 

Old  Testament  and,  in  part,  even  to  the  New,  not  only 
their  value  as  the  revelation  of  the  history  of  redemp- 
tion, but  their  historicity  itself,  is  largely  denied.  Large 
parts,  such  as  the  account  of  creation  and  of  the  patri- 
archs, by  many  even  the  account  of  Jesus'  infancy  and 
that  of  the  resurrection,  are  treated  as  legendary.  There 
are  even  those  who  expressly  demand  tales  as  material 
of  instruction  for  the  lower  grades,  while  even  those 
must  be  reckoned  with  who  desire  the  child  to  experi- 
ence inwardly  all  stages  of  religious  "evolution",  from 
naive  paganism  to  evangelical  Christianity — a  theory 
which  would  explain  Christianity  as  the  highest  of 
successive  cultural  epochs  ("Kulturstufentheorie")  ; 
compare  ch.  34. 

Instruction  in  the  Bible,  a  branch  of  religious  edu- 
cation previously  touched  upon,  was  retained  in  this  pe- 
riod, both  in  the  form  of  Selections  of  Bible  Passages 
(Spruchbuecher),  which,  however,  were  largely  a  mere 
collection  of  proof  material  for  the  truths  of  the  Cate- 
chism, and  in  that  of  Bible  Reading,  and,  in  connection 
therewith,  of  Bible  Literature.  A  question  much  under 
discussion  at  this  time  was  whether  the  children  were  to 
be  given  a  complete  Bible  or  merely  a  "School  Bible",  or 
Biblical  Reader ;  that  is,  an  epitome  intended  for  school 
purposes,  to  be  replaced  by  a  complete  Bible  at  the 
end  of  the  school  period.  The  "Biblical  Reader"  by 
Voelker-Strack,  likewise  those  of  Bremen  and  Wuer- 
temberg  received  considerable  vogue. 

The  Hymnal,  too,  maintained  its  hold  upon  the  pub- 
lic school.  The  better  known  melodies — since  the  ef- 
forts of  Layritz  and  Zahn  more  and  more  in  their  orig- 
inal rhythmic  forms — were  practiced ;  a  treasure  of 
choice  hymns,  the  reduction  of  which  to  a  smaller  num- 


166        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

ber,  like  that  of  the  Scripture  passages  to  be  committed 
to  memory,-is  the  object  of  frequent,  though  often  mis- 
directed, effort,  was  learned  by  heart  and  explained; 
the  forms  of  the  main  service  were  discussed ;  and  the 
pericopes  were  read  and  briefly  explained.  There  was 
also  an  introduction  to  the  most  important  events  of 
Church  History,  thus  realizing  one  of  Augustine's  con- 
ceptions. It  is  now  also  felt  with  increasing  force  that 
the  pupils  should  be  made  acquainted  with  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  Church,  with  her  tasks  in  the  present,  with 
her  duty  toward  both  foreign  and  inner  missions,  with- 
out, however,  specific  forms  being  developed  for  such 
instruction  (cf.,  for  instance,  Warneck,  Missions  in  the 
School).  The  conviction  is  gaining  ground  that  time 
is  lacking  to  do  justice  to  this  mass  of  material  in  the 
period  preceding  confirmation.  Wherever  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  confirmed  youth  on  Sunday  afternoon 
continues  (Christenlehre),  such  aids  are  put  to  use; 
the  Young  People's  and  Young  Men's  Societies,  which 
owe  their  origin  to  the  Church's  interest  in  the  young 
after  their  confirmation,  are  made  to  render  service. 
For  the  reasons  here  named  and  some  others,  the  plea 
is  made  to  change  the  confirmation  practise,  or,  at  least, 
the  time  of  confirmation,  in  that  confirmation  should 
cease  to  be  identified  with  graduation  from  grammar 
school.  The  supplementary  care  of  the  confirmed  youth 
is  still  an  unsolved  problem,  inasmuch  as,  in  consequence 
of  the  recrudescence  of  unbelief,  problems  altogether 
new  are  pressing  for  solution  in  the  sphere  of  religious 
education. 

Since    1863    the    Sunday    school,    introduced    from 
America,  has  found  a  welcome  in  the  cities,  although 


Catechetical  Labors  Since  the  Renewal  of  Faith  167 

rather  in  the  form  of  a  religious  service  for  children, 
with  or  without  division  into  groups. 

Much  was  accomplished  by  the. last  century  in  re- 
gard to  method,  for  which  the  Socratic  method,  not- 
withstanding its  alliance  with  rationalism,  furnished  the 
basis.  However,  the  attempt  was  no  longer  made 
to  draw  everything  forth  from  the  child  as  a  new  pro- 
duct;  rather  the  material  was  first  presented  to  it,  in 
order  to  be  made  clear  to  the  understanding  through 
the  dialectic  method,  thus  becoming  an  incentive  for 
the  will  and  food  for  the  heart.  Especially  Herbart,  the 
pedagogue  (1776 — 1841),  who  in  turn  linked  his  me- 
thods to  those  of  Pestalozzi,  was  a  great  power  during 
the  whole  century  through  his  "Outlines  of  Pedagogic 
Lectures"  (1835).  Through  him  and  his  school  the 
peculiarities  of  the  inner  life  of  the  child  came  to  receive 
recognition,  one-sided  though  it  often  was,  as  is 
seen  from  his  "Formalstufentheorie",  that  is,  a  didactic 
theory  adjusting  itself  closely  to  the  successive  steps  by 
which  the  soul  rises  to  its  full  development.  The  pro- 
gress chronicled  by  the  last  century  in  the  education  of 
the  German  public  school  teachers  rendered  possible  a 
thorough  application  of  this  theory  to  religious  educa- 
tion. The  catechists  with  a  theological  education,  how- 
ever, rather  steered  clear  of  this  theory.  Finding  that 
both  the  catechetical  material  and  the  inner  life  of  the 
child  required  a  combination  of  the  acroamatic  with,  the 
dialectic  method,  such  catechists  endeavored  to  attain 
their  object — the  influencing  of  the  whole  personality — 
by  a  direct  adaptation  to  the  pupil  of  the  specific  de- 
mands arising  from  the  catechetical  lesson,  the  hymn, 
or,  preferably,  the  Bible  story. — Among  the  influential 


168        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

representatives  of  public  schools  Doerpfeld,  especially, 
has  restricted  the  Herbartian  theory  to  sound  limits. 

Among  the  works  embracing  the  whole  sphere  of 
catechetics,  the  following  require  special  mention: 
Kraussold's  Catechetics  (1843)  ;  likewise  the  works  of 
Palmer  (1844),  Zezschwitz  (1863—1872),  Schuetze 
(1876),  Kuebel  (1876),  Th.  Harnack  (1882),  Buchruck- 
er  (1889),  Sachsse  (1897),  v.  Nathusius  (1904),  Gott- 
schick  (1908),  and  Steinbeck  (1914),  to  which  must  be 
added  the  catechetical  treatises  found  in  the  text-books 
of  practical  theology,  especially  those  of  Krauss,  Knoke, 
and  Achelis.  Suggestive  and  variously  instructive  is  a 
booklet  written  altogether  in  the  spirit  of  modern  theo- 
logy— "Neue  Bahnen",  by  O.  Baumgarten  (1903)  ;  like- 
wise a  work  from  the  same  standpoint  by  Kabisch,  "Wie 
lehrt  man  Religion?"  (1912).  Instructive  in  regard  to 
method  are  the  treatises  upon  religious  instruction  found 
in  the  works  on  Method  or  Didactics  in  the  Public 
Schools  by  Doerpfeld,  Kehr,  Schumann,  Staude, 
Thraendorf,    Rein,    Reukauf,    and    others. 

The  history  of  method  will  be  treated  in  ch.  34 — 36. 

20.    Catechetical  Labors  in  America. 

G.  Weber,  Geschichte  d.  akatolischen  Kirchen  u.  Sekten  in 
Grossbritannien.  1845  f. — Original  letters  relative  to  the 
English  reformation,  edited  by  the  Parker  Society,,  2nd 
vol.,  1848. — Three  Primers  put  forth  in  the  Reign  of 
Henry  VIII.,  1848.— First  Prayer  Book  of  Edward  VI  com- 
pared with  successive  revisions,  1883. — A.  F.  Mitchell,  Cate- 
chisms of  the  second  Reformation,  1886. — H.  Bonar,  Catechisms 
of  the  Scotish  Reformation.  1886.— P.  L.  Ford,  The  New  Eng- 
land Primer,  a  reprint  of  the  earliest  known  edition,  1899. — 
E.  F.  K.  Mueller,  Bekenntnisschriften  der  reformierten  Kirche, 
1903. — M.  Reu,  Quellen  z.  Geschichte  d.  kirchlichen  Unterrichts, 
part    I.   vol.    1    and    2.    1904.      1911.— A.    Lang,    der    Heidelberger 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  169 

Katechismus  und  verwandte  Katechismen,  1907. — F.  Watson, 
English  Grammar  Schools  before  1660,  1908.— W.  H.  Frere  and 
W.  H.  Kennedy,  Visitation  Articles  and  Injunctions  of  the 
Period  of  Reformation,  1910. — L.  G.  Pray,  History  of  Sunday 
Schools  and  of  Religious  Education,  1847. — I.  C.  Power,  The 
Rise  and  Progress  of  Sunday  Schools,  a  biography  of  Rob. 
Raikes  and  William  Fox,  1863.— S.  Gilbert,  The  Lesson  System; 
the  Story  of  its  Origin  and  Inauguration,  1879. — H.  C.  Trum- 
bull, Yale  Lectures  on  the  S.  S..  1888—1.  H.  Harris,  Rob. 
Raikes,  The  Man  and  his  Work,  1899.— M.  C.  Brown,  Sunday 
School  Movements  in  America,  1901. — S.  B.  Haslett,  Pedagogi- 
cal Bible  School,  1903.— O.  G.  Michael,  Sunday  School  in  the 
Development  of  the  American  Church,  1904. — E.  W.  Rice,  Origin 
and  Expansion  of  the  S.  S.,  1906. — H.  F.  Cope,  The  Modern 
S.  S.  in  Principle  and  Practice,  1909.— H.  H.  Meyer,  The 
Graded  S.  S.  in  Principle  and  Practice,  1910. — H.  F.  Cope, 
Evolution  of  the  S.  S.,  1911. — J.  R.  Sampey,  International  Les- 
son System,  1911. — J.  R.  Hurlbut,  Organizing  and  Building 
up  the  S.  S.,  1911. — R.  P.  Shepherd,  Religious  Pedagogy  in  the 
Modern  S.  S.,  1911. — Proceedings  of  Religious  Education  Asso- 
ciation. 1903.  1904.  1905.  1907.  1908.— The  Encyclopedia 
of  Sunday  Schools  and  Religious  Education,  3  vols.,  1915. — 
De  Garmo,  Principles  of  Religious  Education,  1901. — G.  U. 
Wenner,  Religious  Education  and  the  Public  School,  1907. — 
A.  N.  Riley  a.  o.,  The  Religious  Question  in  Public  Education, 
1911.— H.  Chapell,  The  Church  Vacation  School.  1915.— State 
Teachers  College  of  Colorado,  Special  Bulletin  of  Religious  and 
Moral  Education,  1913. — S.  C.  Parker,  History  of  Modern  Ele- 
mentary Education,  1913. — W.  P.  Burris,  The  Public  School 
System  of  Gary,  Ind.,  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education  Bulletin  591. 
1914. — W.  J.  Mutch,  Religious  Day  School  (Encyclopedia  of 
S.  S's.  etc.).  1915.— R.  S.  Boville,  Daily  Vacation  Bible  School 
Association  (Encyclopedia  of  S.  S's.  etc.),  1915. — Pro- 
ceedings of  Religious  Education  Association,  1910.  1916. 
— H.  H.  Meyer,  Co-operation  in  Christian  Education,  1917. 
— S.  A.  John,  Die  Sonntagsschule,  ihre  Bestimmung  u. 
Arbeit,  1897. — C.  W.  Hertzler,  Die  religioes  sittl.  Erziehung  d. 
kirchl.  Jugend,  1913. — F.  W.  Schneider,  Barclay's  Handbuch  zur 
Heranbildung  v.  Sonntagsschullehrern,  1916. — H.  E.  Jacobs, 
Historv  of  the   Ev.-Luth.   Church   in  the   United   States,    1893.— 


170        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

A.  Graebner,  Geschichte  d.  luth.  Kirche  Amerikas,  1892. — Geo. 
J.  Fritschel,  Geschichte  der  luth.  Kirche  Amerikas,  1896  f. — 
J.  L.  Neve,  Kurzgefasste  Geschichte  der  luth.  Kirche  Amerikas, 
21915  (here  further  literature). — J.  C.  W.  Lindemann,  Schul- 
praxis.— J.  Schaller,  Notwendigkeit  d.  christl.  Gemeindeschule 
fuer  die  christl.  Familie,  Kirche  und  Staat. — G.  M.  Grossmann, 
Die  christl.  Gemeindeschule,  1895.— J.  R.  E.  Hunt,  The  Luth. 
S.  S.  Handbook,  1911. — R.  Bunge,  Weide  meine  Laemmer,  1912. 
—  E.  H.  Engelbrecht,  Why  Lutheran  Parish  Schools,  1915.— 
G.  H.  Gerberding,  The  Lutheran  Catechist,  1910.— J.  H.  Hertzer, 
Evang.-luth.  Katechetik.  1911.— M.  Reu,  Katechetik,  1915.— Sym- 
posium on  the  Sunday  School,  Lutheran  Church  Review,  1896. 
— T.  Schmauk,  The  General  Council  Sunday  School  System 
of  Grading  and  Instruction,  1897  ff. — M.  Reu,  Wesen  u.  Auf- 
gabe der  Sonntagsschule  (Kirchl.  Zeitschrift),  1900.  1901. — 
M.  Reu,  Grundsaetze  zur  Herstellung  von  Sonntagsschullitera- 
tur (Kirchl.  Zeitschrift),  1911.— M.  Reu,  Wartburg  Lehrmittel 
fuer  ev.-luth.  Sonntagsschulen,  1911  ff. — M.  Reu,  Wartburg  Les- 
son Helps  for  Luth.  S.  S's.,  1914  ff.— Chr.  P.  Wiles,  The  Chal- 
lenge of  the  S.  S.,  1916. 

The  same  inconclusiveness  which  characterizes  the 
history  of  England  between  the  years  1530  and  1550 
confronts  us  also  in  the  catechetical  literature  of  those 
years.  As  a  case  in  point,  the  "Goodly  Prymer"  by  Mar- 
shall, first  issued  in  1534  and  reprinted  in  1535  as  a  pri- 
vate publication,  is  uncompromisingly  evangelical.  In 
the  second  edition,  in  the  form  given  to  "the  invocation 
of  the  Saints''  in  the  Litany,  a  concession  is  indeed  made 
to  the  weak  (compare  the  foreword,  p.  123  f.) ;  but,  with 
the  exception  noted,  the  "by  grace  alone"  pervades  the 
whole  book,  which  contains  unabbreviated  the  "Short 
Form"  of  Luther,  of  1520;  while,  at  the  same  time, 
other  influences  are  in  evidence,  as,  for  instance,  in  the 
Dialogue  (p.  216 — 221),  where  the  prohibition  of  image 
worship  is  enumerated  as  a  specific  commandment. 
When,  however,  on  the  other  hand,  Henry  VIII  issues 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  171 

the  injunction  in  1536:  'The  curates  shall,  in  their 
sermons,  deliberately  and  plainly  recite  of  the  said  Pater 
Noster,  the  Articles  of  our  Faith,  and  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, one  clause  or  article  one  day,  and  another 
another  day,  till  the  whole  be  taught  and  learned  by 
little;  and  shall  deliver  the  same  in  writing-,  or  show 
where  printed  books  containing  the  same  be  to  be  sold 
to  them  that  can  read  or  will  desire  the  same",  the 
mandate  in  no  way  transcends  those  of  medieval  times, 
since  the  necessity  for  an  explanation  of  these  parts 
is  ignored.  While  later,  in  1537,  an  authorized  ex- 
planation of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  of  the  Hail  Mary,  of  the 
Apostolic  Creed,  of  the  Ten  Commandments,  and  of 
the  Seven  .Sacraments,  edited  by  Archbishop  Cranmer 
and  an  episcopal  commission  (the  so-called  Bishops' 
Book),  was  published  under  the  title:  "The  Godly  and 
Pious  Institution  of  a  Christian  Man",  it  was  a  Catholic, 
not  an  Evangelical  explanation  which  thus  resulted. 
Almost  on  the  same  level  was  the  explanation  of  1543: 
"The  Necessary  Doctrine  and  Erudition  of  a  Christian 
Man"  (also  called  King's  Book).  As  soon  as  Henry 
VIII  had  died,  Jan.  1547,  and  Edward  VI  had  ascended 
the  throne,  Cranmer,  in  1548,  issued  an  English  transla- 
tion of  the  Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Children,  which  had 
been  translated  by  Justus  Jonas  into  Latin  (Osiander 
was  their  chief  author,  whose  niece  had  married  Cran- 
mer). The  book  bore  the  title:  '  "A  Short  Instruction 
into  the  Christian  Religion ;  for  the  Syngular  Commod- 
itie  and  Profite  of  Children  and  Young  People".  What 
was  thus  made  accessible  to  the  people  of  England  was 
nothing  less  than  Luther's  Small  Catechism  with  the 
very  best  explanation  extant — a  work  which  was  cir- 
culating on  the  continent  at  that  time  in  High  German. 


172       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Low  German,  Latin,  and  Polish  (compare  Reu,  Quellen 
z.  Geschichte  d.  kirchlichen  Unterrichts).  It  was  not 
Luther's  Catechism,  however,  that  gained  vogue  after- 
ward, but  the  "Instruction  to  be  Learned  of  every 
Child",  a  catechism  which,  in  1549,  wras  made  part  of 
the  first  edition  of  the  "Book  of  Common  Prayer".  In 
1549  it  appeared  as  part  of  the  Order  of  Confirmation; 
it  had  to  be  committed  to  memory  before  confirmation 
and  was  recited  on  that  occasion.  Starting  out  with 
an  elucidation  of  sponsorship,  it  presents,  in  connection 
with  a  meager  explanation,  the  Apostolic  Symbol,  the 
Decalogue,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Since  1552  the  Com- 
mandments, which  previously  had  been  compressed  into 
short  sentences,  were  issued  literally  according  to  Ex. 
20  (Reformed  influence;  Butzer  had  come  into  the  coun- 
try and  Calvin  was  now  Cranmer's  and  Edward's  ad- 
viser ;  compare,  however,  Marshall's  Primer — a  still  ear- 
lier factor).  After  the  section  treating  of  the  sacra- 
ments, edited  by  Bishop  Overall,  had  been  added  in 
1604,  the  catechism  remained  unaltered,  and  is  in  force 
in  that  form  all  over  the  Anglican  (Episcopal)  Church 
to  this  day,  with  this  exception  only  that,  since  1662, 
it  has  ceased  to  be  a  part  of  the  Order  of  Confirmation, 
but  has  become  an  integral  part  of  the  Book  of  Com- 
mon Prayer.  In  1553  Poinet  edited  a  more  elaborate 
catechism  for  adults  or  teachers ;  but  its  vogue  was 
short-lived,  in  spite  of  King  Edward  VI's  imprimatur. 
Greater  influence  was  exerted  by  that  published  by 
Nowell  with  the  approval  of  the  archbishops  and  bish- 
ops ;  but  it  failed  likewise  to  become  an  official  text- 
book for  instruction.  The  doctrinal  treatise  of  the  sac- 
raments, which  was  added  to  the  catechism  of  1549  in 
1604,  is  based  on  Nowell.    Composed  originally  in  Latin, 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  173 

it  was  presently  translated  into  English  and  Greek ; 
and,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  curricula  extant,  it  served 
the  cause  of  education  for  a  considerable  time  both 
in  the  sphere  of  language  and  religion. 

In  Scotland  it  was  Knox  who  emphatically  advo- 
cated the  religious  instruction  of  that  country's  youth. 
In  his  "Book  of  Discipline",  he  laid  down  the  following 
rule  for  all  those  places  where  the  establishment  of  a 
higher  school  of  learning  was  impracticable :  "Either 
the  reader  or  the  minister  must  take  care  of  the  chil- 
dren and  youth  of  the  parish,  instructing  them  in  their 
first  rudiments,  and  especially  in  the  catechism,  as  we 
have  it  now  translated  in  the  Book  of  our  Common 
Order,  called  the  Order  of  Geneva".  As  a  religious  ex- 
ercise for  Sunday  afternoon  he  enjoined:  "After  noon 
the  young  children  must  be  publicly  examined  in  their 
catechism  in  audience  of  the  people,  and  in  doing  this 
the  minister  must  take  great  diligence  to  cause  the  peo- 
ple to  understand  the  questions  propounded,  as  well 
as  the  answers,  and  the  doctrine  that  may  be  collected 
thereof".  Nor  did  he  forget  home  instruction ;  for  he 
wrote:  "Every  master  of  household  must  be  command- 
ed either  to  instruct,  or  else  cause  to  be  instructed,  his 
children,  servants  and  family,  in  the  principles  of  the 
Christian  religion".  The  catechism  to  which  he  re- 
ferred was  that  by  Calvin  (Latin,  1545;  see  p.  134). 
Later  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  England,  thereupon 
the  Church  of  Scotland,  introduced  the  small  Westmin- 
ster Catechism,  which  had  received  parliamentary  ap- 
probation in  1648;  this  is  still  in  use.  While  the  large 
Westminster  Catechism  (likewise  approved  by  parlia- 
ment in  1648),  owing  to  its  derivation  from  the  "Com- 
pendium theologiae"  by  the  Basel  theologian  Wolleb,  is 


174        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

rather  a  text  book  of  dogmatics  than  a  catechism  (it 
contains  196  questions  with  answers,  in  part  extremely 
lengthy),  the  small  Westminster  Catechism  has  received 
praise  for  great  lucidity  and  commendable  restriction 
to  matters  essential  to  the  faith ;  but,  with  its  107  ques- 
tions, it  resembles  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  in  that 
it  is  still  rather  voluminous  and  doctrinal.  It  is  equip- 
ped with  a  large  number  of  proof-passages.  The  title 
of  the  authorized  edition  is :  "The  Shorter  Catechism, 
Agreed  upon  by  the  Assembly  of  Divines  at  Westmin- 
ster, with  assistance  of  Commissioners  of  the  Churches 
of  Christ  in  Scotland,  England,  and  Ireland,  and  ap- 
proved Anno  1648,  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland,  to  be  a  Directory  for  Catechizing 
such  as  are  of  Weaker  Capacity,  with  the  Proof  from 
the  Scripture".  It  is  divided  into  two  parts.  After  some 
introductory  questions,  this  catechism  treats  of-  he  sub- 
ject: "What  Man  is  to  Believe  concerning  God",  which 
is  followed  by :  "What  Duty  God  Requires  of  Man". 
The  first  part  is  joined  rather  loosely  to  the  Creed,  the 
words  of  which,  however,  together  with  those  of  the 
Decalogue  and  the  Lord's  Prayer  are  deferred  to  the 
close  of  the  book.  The  second  part  contains  an  ex- 
planation of  the  Ten  Commandments,  a  treatise  upon 
faith  and  repentance,  an  explanation  of  the  sacraments 
and  the  Lord's  Prayer. — Also  the  Congregationalists, 
for  a  long  time,  would  use  no  other  than  the  West- 
minster Catechism. — The  Reformed  of  Holland  used 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  which,  at  the  Synod  of  Dort, 
had  become  the  Confession  of  all  Reformed  Churches. 
Likewise  the  Palatines. 

From   these  premises   conclusions   may   readily   be 
drawn  regarding  the  catechetical  aids  and  the  manner 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  175 

of   catechetical    instruction   in    general    which    obtained 
among  the  emigrants  to  America  from  England,  Hol- 
land, and  the  Palatinate.     The  families  that  had  been 
members  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  the  home  country 
brought  with  them  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  with 
the  catechism  of   1549  as  part  of  its   contents;  in  this 
the  children  were   instructed  previous   to   confirmation. 
The   members   of   the   Presbyterian   Churches   of   Eng- 
land,   Scotland,    and    Ireland   brought   the   small   West- 
minster Catechism  with  them,  and  the  Congregational- 
ists  likewise.     The  Dutch  Reformed,  and  later  also  the 
Palatines,    brought    the    Heidelberg    Catechism.      It    is 
likely  that  instruction  was  largely  confined  to  the  home, 
although,    in   keeping   with    home    usage,    Sunday    was 
probably  devoted  to  religious  instruction.     As  a  case  in 
point,  we  read  that  instruction  was  given  to  the  young 
on   Sunday   in   Roxbury,   Mass.,   in    1674;   in   Norwich, 
Conn.,    in    1676;    in    the    Pilgrims'    Church,    Plymouth, 
1680.     At   the   last-named   place   it   was    decided   "that 
the  deacons  of  the  church  be  requested  to  assist  the  min- 
ister in   teaching  the   children   during  the  intermission 
on  the  Sabbath",  that  is,  during  the  forenoon  and  the 
afternoon  services.    The  Rev.  M.  Jones  established  such 
instruction    in    1683    in    Newton,    L.    I.,    N.    Y.      The 
Schwenkfeldians   of   Berks   and   Montgomery   Counties, 
Pennsylvania,  had  a  similar  institution  in  1734.     When 
John  Wesley  was  in  America,  some  time  between  1735 
and  1738,  he  is  said  to  have  founded  a  Sunday  school  in 
Savannah.    In  1738  the  Church  of  the  Brethren  in  Ger- 
mantown,  Pa.,  gave  its  youth  instruction  on  Sundays. 
It  is  said  that  Christopher  Saur  used  tickets,  or  printed 
cards,  on  that  occasion.     In   1740  the  Rev.  J.   Bellamy 
opened  a  Sunday  school  in  Bethlehem,  Conn.,  which  is  in 


176        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

existence  today  yet.  When  it  is  said  in  his  memoirs 
that  "he  is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  pastor  in  the 
land,  if  not  in  the  world,  who  began,  and  through  all 
his  ministry  kept  up,  a  Sabbath  school  in  his  congrega- 
tion, regularly  spending  an  hour  in  the  interval  of  pub- 
lic worship,  on  the  Sabbath,  in  catechizing  and  instruct- 
ing one  class  of  children  and  another  of  adults,  in  the 
Word  of  God",  the  statement  is  indeed  incorrect,  but  it 
furnishes  indirect  proof  that  such  a  period  of  instruc- 
tion on  Sunday  was  not  at  that  time  a  very  widely  prev- 
alent custom.  Ludwig  Hoecker,  a  Seventh  Day  Ad- 
ventist,  is  reported  to  have  established  a  Sunday  school 
in  Ephrata,  Pennsylvania  (Lancaster  Co.),  in  1740,  "to 
give  instruction  to  indigent  children  as  well  as  to  give 
religious  instruction  to  those  of  better  circumstances". 
In  1744,  a  Mrs.  Greening  established  a  school  in  Phila- 
delphia. Among  the  entries  in  the  church  book  of  the 
early  Presbyterian  Church  in  Westerly,  N.  J.,  there  is 
one  of  the  year  1752,  according  to  which  it  was  required 
"statedly  to  hear  the  children  read  a  portion  of  ye 
Holy  Scriptures  and  repeat  ye  Assembly's  Catechism". 
Alongside  the  above-named  catechisms,  of  which 
the  Westminster  Catechism  was  specially  named  in  the 
entry  quoted,  and  the  Holy  Scriptures,  it  was  es- 
pecially the  religious  writings  of  men  like  Cotton,  Har- 
ris, and  Watts  that  served  the  purpose  of  religious  in- 
struction in  the  home  and  at  school.  John  Cotton,  who 
had  arrived  in  America  1632,  published  a  catechism  in 
1646,  under  the  title  "Milk  for  Babes,  Drawn  out  of  the 
Breasts  of  both  Testaments,  chiefly  for  the  spiritual 
nourishment  of  Boston  Babes  in  either  England,  but 
may  be  of  Like  Use  for  any  Children,  a  Catechism".  A 
reprint  of  this  little  work  was  undertaken  in  England 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  177 

(Cambridge,  1656)  ;  it  was  in  New  England,  however, 
that  it  went  through  a  large  number  of  editions.  The 
grandson  of  the  author  called  this  book  ''peculiarly  the 
catechism  of- New  England".  He  said  of  it:  "It  will  be 
valued  and  studied  and  improved  "until  New  England 
ceases  to  be  New  England".  We  need  not  marvel,  there- 
fore, that  we  find  it  incorporated  in  the  book  that,  for  a 
century,  had  vogue  as  the  chief  aid  to  education — "the 
New  England  Primer".  The  New  England  Primer  -was 
composed  probably  by  Benjamin  Harris,  possibly  also 
printed  by  him  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  place  of  his 
other  book,  "The  Protestant  Tutor".  The  first  edition 
was  evidently  issued  between  1687  and  1690;  for,  as 
early  as  1691,  there  was  announced  "the  second  im- 
pression of  the  New  England  Primer,  enlarged".  The 
contents  of  the  booklet  were  not  always  the  same ;  but 
it  generally  included  the  simple  alphabet,  also  rhymed 
and  illustrated  alphabets,  the  words,  consonants,  double 
letters,  Italic  and  capital  letters ;  "easy  syllables  for  chil- 
dren", forming  a  syllabary  of  words  from  one.  to  six 
syllables  in  length;  the  Lord's  Prayer;  the  Apostles' 
Creed ;  pictures  of  birds,  animals  and  fishes,  each  with 
a  rhyme ;  "lessons  for  youth",  which  are  admonitory 
Scripture  verses ;  Dr.  Watts'  cradle  hymn ;  "verses  for 
little  children"  and  prayers  and  advice  for  them ; 
John  Rogers'  poem  and  the  picture  of  his  martyrdom  in 
1554;  the  Westminster  Assembly's  "Shorter  Cate- 
chism" ;  John  Cotton's  "Spiritual  Milk  for  Babes",  and 
a  "Dialogue  between  Christ,  youth,  and  the  devil".  Some 
editions  included  proper  names  of  men  and  women,  the 
Ten  Commandments,  and  the  names  of  the  books  of  the 
Bible,  given  in  their  order.  In  this  table  of  contents 
also  the  third  author,  whose  writings  were  for  a  long 


178        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

time  of  great  influence  in  the  home  and  at  school,  ap- 
peared already,  namely,  the  well  known  composer  of 
hymns  Isaac  Watts.  Samuel  Johnson  said  of  him :  "For 
children  he  condescended  to  lay  aside  the  .scholar,  the 
philosopher,  and  the  wit,  and  to  write  little  poems  of 
devotion,  and  systems  of  instruction  adapted  to  their 
minds  and  capacities,  from  the  dawn  of  years  through 
its  gradations  of  advance  in  the  morning  of  life".  His 
juvenile  hymns,  which  he  published  in  1715  under  the 
title  "Divine  Songs",  and  which  were  re-published  by 
him  in  1720  in  enlarged  form  under  the  title  "Divine  and 
Moral  Songs  for  the  Use  of  Children",  have  had  pro- 
found religious  effects.  On  account  of  their  child-like 
simplicity  and  warm  tone,  they  enjoyed  a  phenomenal 
spread.  A  hundred  editions  were  issued  until  1750.  Ac- 
cording to  Wilber  (Life  of  Watts,  p.  372)  80,000  to 
100,00  copies  on  an  average  were  printed  toward  the  end 
of  the  century.  Julian,  in  his  "Dictionary  of  Hymnol- 
ogy",  of  which  the  first  edition  appeared  in  1892,  speaks 
of  this  hymn-book  and  two  other  writings  which  shall 
presently  be  mentioned  as  "the  most  popular  text-books 
for  religious  education  fifty  years  ago".  Nor  was 
Watts's  popularity  by  any  means  restricted  to  Eng- 
land. His  writings,  on  the  contrary,  constituted  a  most 
important  factor  in  the  religious  education  of  the  Amer- 
ican youth.  Besides  the  hymnal,  his  two  catechisms, 
published  in  1730  under  the  title  "Plain  and  Easy  Cat- 
echisms", deserve  mention,  of  which  "The  First  Cate- 
chism" presents  as  chief  contents  a  survey  of  the  way 
of  salvation  and  a  "Catechism  of  Scriptural  Names" 
(Who  was  Adam?  WTho  was  Eve?  etc.);  while  the 
other — "The  Second  Catechism" — contained  an  expo- 
sition  of  the  Ten   Commandments,   and  instruction   on 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  179 

the  sacraments  and  prayers  (also  the  text  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer).  Finally  there  is  to  be  mentioned  his  "Scrip- 
ture History".  While  it  is  to  be  maintained  that  Watts's 
collection  of  hymns  was  not  the  first  juvenile  hymnal, 
John  Spangenberg  having  issued  such  a  book  as  early  as 
1544,  and  several  others  after  him,  his  was  the  first 
book  of  the  kind  to  be  published  in  the  English  lan- 
guage ;  likewise  his  "Scripture  History"  must  be  recog- 
nized as  the  first  English  Biblical  History. 

New  impulses  for  the  religious  education  of  the 
young  proceeded  from  the  Sunday  school  movement, 
called  into  being  in  England  by  Robert  Raikes,  of  Glou- 
cester (1735  or  1736 — 1811),  and  soon  afterward  trans- 
planted to  America. 

E.  W.  Rice  summarizes  in  the  Schaff-Herzog  Encyclopedia 
the  results  of  Raike's  life  and  labors  in  the  following  manner  : 
"Robert  Raikes"  (the  14th  of  September  of  1735  is  usually  given 
as  the  date  of  his  birth;  but  in  the  baptismal  register  of  the 
Church  of  Saint  Mary  de  Crypt  in  Gloucester  we  find  the  entry: 
"Sept.  24.  1736.  Robert,  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  Raikes.  of 
this  parish";  could  it  be  that  he  was  already  one  year  old  when 
he  was  baptized?)  "was  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Glou- 
cester Journal,  Gloucester,  England,  and  a  strange  mixture 
of  the  "dandy"  and  of  the  Reformer.  Before  he  was  of  age, 
lie  began  to  visit  the  two  prisons  of  Gloucester,  to  relieve  the 
horrors  of  prison  life,  and  to  reform  the  prisoners.  His  sympa- 
thies were  widened,  his  charities  deepened;  his  failures  in 
prison  reform  set  him  thinking,  until  he  reached  the  conclusion 
that  'vice  is  preventable'.  Twenty  years  later,  when  he  was 
forty-four  years  of  age,  he  began  a  'new  experiment'  as  he 
called  it,  of  'botanizing  in  human  nature'.  Going  into  the 
suburbs  of  the  city,  where  many  youths  were  employed  in  the 
factories,  his  heart  was  touched  by  the  groups  of  ragged, 
wretched,  cursing  children.  He  knew  their  parents,  homes, 
and  habits  ;  none  ever  entered  the  House  of  God.  It  was  use- 
less to  speak  to  such  parents.  He  had  tried  to  reform  adults 
and    had    failed.      George    Whitefield    had    tried    to    reach    the 


180       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

masses  in  Gloucester,  but  with  meager  results.  Raikes  Was 
moved,  therefore,  to  apply  his  maxim  that  'vice  is  preventable'. 
'Begin  with  the  child,  for  idleness  is  the  parent  of  vice',  and 
'ignorance  is  the  cause  of  idleness';  therefore,  'begin  by  instruct- 
ing the  child'.  These  seem  like  trite  statements  now,  but  they 
were  the  result  of  long,  deep  thought  by  Raikes.  Here  was  his 
mission.  But  the  Rev.  Thomas  Stock,  headmaster  of  the  Cathe- 
dral School,  whom  he  met  in  his  walk,  was  the  man  to  help 
him.  He  started  his  first  Sunday  school  in  Sooty  Alley  in 
1780,  paying  Mrs.  Meredith  for  teaching  the  wretched  little 
street  children,  whom  he  persuaded  to  come  to  her  kitchen  for 
instruction.  Mrs.  Meredith  found  the  boys  'terribly  bad',  and 
soon  the  pupils  were  transferred  to  Mrs.  Mary  Critchley's 
home  in  Southgate  Street,  whose  house  extended  to  Grey  Friars, 
facing  the  South  porch  of  the  Saint  Mary  de  Crypt  Church. 
Bad  as  the  boys  were,  the  'girls  were  worse'.  The  children  were 
required  to  come  with  clean  hands  and  faces,  hair  combed,  and 
with  such  clothing  as  they  had,  though  shoes  and  clothes  were 
sometimes  provided.  The  boys  were  'strapped'  or  'caned'  by 
Raikes  himself,  for  misbehavior;  the  girls  were  subdued  by 
other  means.  The  children  were  to  remain  in  school  from  ten 
to  twelve,  then  go  home;  to  return  at  one,  and,  after  a  lesson, 
to  be  conducted  to  church ;  after  church  service  to  repeat  por- 
tions of  the  catechism;  then  to  go  quickly  home  about  five, 
without  playing  in  the  streets.  Attentive  scholars  received 
rewards  of  Bibles.  Testaments,  books,  combs,  shoes,  and  cloth- 
ing. The  head  teachers  were  paid  a  shilling  a  day.  Raikes  en- 
gaged four  women  in  his  schools,  and  procured  other  employ- 
ment for  them  as  rewards  of  diligence  which  'may  make  it  worth 
sixpence  more'.  The  Rev.  Thomas  Stock  'went  around  to  the 
schools  Sunday  afternoon',  says  Raikes,  'to  examine  the  pro- 
gress made,  and  to  enforce  order  and  decorum  among  such 
a  set  of  little  heathen'.  The  boys  were  in  classes  of  five,  the 
advanced  pupils  acting  as  'monitors'  or  teachers,  teaching  the 
younger  pupils  their  letters.  The  girls  in  a  separate  room,  with 
white  tippets  on  their  shoulders  and  white  caps  on  their  heads, 
were  in  classes  also,  with  'monitors'  or  sub-teachers  over  them. 
The  monitors  and  sub-teachers  were  unpaid  and  voluntary,  se- 
lected and  directed  by  the  paid  masters  or  mistress.  For  about 
three  years   Raikes   looked  upon  his  schools  as   an  experiment. 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  181 

When  William  Fox,  William  Wilberforce  and  the  Wesleys — 
John  and  Charles — and  Jonas  Han  way,  came  as  the  guests  of 
Raikes  and  his  neighbors,  he  explained  his  plan,  asked  their 
counsel,  and  took  them  to  the  school  to  hear  the  children  repeat 
prayers,  the  catechism,  answer  Bible  questions,  and  sing  Watts's 
hymns.  It  is  recorded  that  they  were  astonished,  'caught  the 
fire',  and  extended  the  movement.  When  satisfied  that  his 
scheme  had  past  the  experimental  stage,  Raikes  published  a 
brief  notice  of  it  in  the  Gloucester  Journal  of  Nov.  3,  1783, 
which  was  copied  into  the  London  papers.  The  Gentleman's 
Magazine  also  published  a  letter  of  Raikes  of  November  25, 
1783,  in  full,  and  a  little  later,  another  description  by  Raikes 
was  given  in  the  Arminian  Magazine  edited  by  John  Wesley. 
These  and  many  other  published  accounts  extended  knowledge 
concerning  the  new  movement,  while  many  pulpits  repeated  the 
story  and  praised  the  institution". 

Raikes  was  primarily  concerned  not  with  relig- 
ious but  with  intellectual  and  moral  instruction ;  nor 
did  he  have  in  view  all  the  youth  of  the  metropolis,  but 
only  that  part  of  it  which  was  neglected  and  left  to  its 
own  devices.  But  in  order  to  lift  that  element  morally 
and  intellectually,  the  means  of  religious  instruction — 
the  catechism,  Watts's  hymns,  and  church  attendance 
were  to  him  welcome  instrumentalities,  which  he  gladly 
enlisted  in  his  service.  And  because  there  were  in  Eng- 
land at  that  time  no  public  schools,  supported  by  the 
State  and  accessible  to  all  without  charge  (until  1833 
the  whole  elementary  education  was  left  to  the  family. 
the  Church,  and  private  schools — for  tuition),  it  is  not 
unlikely  that  the  attendance  was  recruited  from  otlier 
quarters  as  well  as  those  originally  in  view.  In  spite 
of  violent  opposition  on  the  part  of  certain  elements  in 
the  Church  (the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  was  moved 
to  call  together  bishops  and  clergy  to  see  what  should 
be  done  to  stop  the  movement ;  William  Perm  seri- 
ously considered  the  introduction  of  a  bill  in  parliament 


182        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

for  the  "suppression  of  Sunday  schools";  in  Scotland, 
teaching  on  Sunday  by  laymen  was  pronounced  an  inno- 
vation and  a  breach  of  the  Third  Commandment)  the 
thought  of  Raikes  found  support  in  a  surprisingly  short 
time,  and  the  movement  arising  therefrom  reached 
enormous  dimensions.  In  Bolton,  there  was,  as  early 
as  1787,  a  Sunday  school  with  eighty  volunteer  teachers; 
the  Sunday  school  at  Stockport  had  thirty  teachers  in 
1794;  it  is  said  that  there  were  156,400  Sunday  schools 
by  1800.  On  the  seventh  of  September,  1785,  the 
"Sunday  School  Society"  was  founded  at  the  initiative 
of  William  Fox  and  with  Jonas  Hanway  as  its  first 
president,  "for  the  support  and  encouragement  of  Sun- 
day schools  in  the  different  counties  of  England".  In 
1808  the  British  Sunday  School  Union  was  organized  in 
London.  Though  this  organization  was  at  first  merely 
a  union  of  teachers  for  mutual  counsel  and  aid,  it  pre- 
sently recognized  the  establishment  of  new  schools  as 
its  main  purpose.  Since  1804  it  has  furnished  lesson 
plans,  issued  lesson  helps,  arranged  reading  courses, 
etc.  The  census  undertaken  at  the  instance  of  parlia- 
ment in  1818  disclosed  the  existence  of  5463  Sunday 
schools  with  477,225  pupils.  Many  circumstances  work- 
ed in  unison  to  bring  about  this  extraordinary  develop- 
ment. H.  F.  Cope  mentions  the  following  four  fac- 
tors: "1.  the  awakening  interest  in  the  general  educa- 
tion of  the  young  which  arose  in  various  places ;  2.  a 
wide-spread  development  of  humanitarian  sentiment, 
which  led  to  the  organization  of  many  important  re- 
lief and  betterment  societies ;  3.  the  remarkable  relig- 
ious revival  which  is  today  best  remembered  in  the  work 
of  Whitefield  and  Wesley ;  4.  the  industrial  revolution, 
together  with  upheavals  of  the  French  revolution  and 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  183 

American  independence".  The  Sunday  schools  of  Eng- 
land, speaking  by  and  large,  have  retained  the  char- 
acter impressed  upon  them  by  Raikes.  Cope  enumer- 
ates the  following  characteristics :  1.  "Organized  and 
conducted  independently  of  church  control ;  2.  without 
denominational  oversight  and  promotion;  3.  designed 
to  combine  elementary  general  education  with  religious 
instruction ;  4.  lacking  the  urgency  of  a  secular  system 
of  general  education". 

We  need  not  wonder  that  the  waves  of  this  move- 
ment reached  America  without  long  delay.  Yes,  the 
Sunday  school  has  here  grown  into  an  institution  of 
farther-going  and  deeper-reaching  influence  than  in 
England ;  from  it  vigorous  impulses  have  been  com- 
municated to  other  countries.  The  secret  of  such  power 
was  probably  first  of  all  the  failure  of  the  United  States 
to  pay  much  attention  to  the  training  of  its  youth,  leav- 
ing instruction  in  the  elementary  branches  to  the  family 
and  Church.  In  the  State  of  Indiana,  it  is  said,  not  even 
one-sixth  of  all  the  children  went  to  school  during 
the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  the  large 
cities  the  so-called  Lancaster  system  was  in  vogue,  ac- 
cording to  which,  as,  for  instance,  in  Philadelphia,  as 
late  as  1834,  218  pupils  fell  to  one  teacher,  who,  with 
the  assistance  of  monitors,  became  responsible  for  their 
instruction.  What  could  be  done  for  the  individual  pu- 
pil in  view  of  such  herding? 

The  government  of  Massachusetts  required  towns  to  main- 
tain schools  by  that  eminently  important  law  of  1647.  This 
law  reads,  in  part,  as  follows  :  "It  being  one  chief  point  of 
that  old  deluder,  Satan,  to  keep  men  from  the  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures,  as  in  former  times,  by  keeping  them  in  an  unknown 
tongue,  so  in  these  latter  times,  by  persuading  from  the  use 
of  tongues,  that  so  at  last   the  true   sense  and  meaning  of  the 


184        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

original  might  be  clouded  by  false  glosses  of  saint-seeming 
deceivers,  that  learning  might  not  be  buried  in  the  grave  of  our 
fathers  in  church  and  commonwealth,  the  Lord  assisting  our 
endeavors. — It  is  therefore  ordered  that  every  township  in  this 
jurisdiction,  after  the  Lord  has  increased  them  to  the  number 
of  fifty  householders,  shall  then  forthwith  appoint  one  within 
their  town  to  teach  all  such  children  as  shall  resort  to  him  to 
write  and  read,  whose  wages  shall  be  paid  eithe/  by  the  parents 
or  masters  of  such  children,  or  by  the  inhabitants  in  general, 
by  way  of  supply,  as  the  major  part  of  those  that  order  the 
prudentials  of  the  town  shall  appoint;  providing  those  that 
send  their  children  be  not  oppressed  by  paying  much  more  than 
they  can  have  them  taught  for  in  other  towns".  Parker  shows 
that  many  of  the  Massachusetts  towns  failed  to  obey  the  spirit 
of  the  law  of  1647.  The  reading  texts  used  were  religious  books 
like  the  "New  England  Primer"  and  similar  primers,  until  Spell- 
ing Books,  above  others  Webster's  "Speller"  of  1783,  took  their 
place. — "In  colonial  Pennsylvania,  in  contrast  with  Massachu- 
setts," Parker  says  (p.  62  f.),  "no  general  system  of  public  schools 
was  developed,  but  elementary  education  remained  entirely  in 
the  hands  of  the  churches  and  neighborhood  organizations  which 
were  actuated  by  religious  motives.  Wm.  Penn  had  contem- 
plated the  organization  of  a  system  of  public  schools,  but  his 
Utopian  ideals  were  not  realized.  The  second  general  as- 
sembly of  the  colony  (1683)  passed  a  law  requiring  that  all 
children  be  taught  so  that  they  could  read  the  Scriptures  and 
write  by  twelve  years  of  age.  The  law  soon  became  a  dead 
letter,  however,  owing  to  changes  in  the  government  and  the 
conflicting  interests  of  such  a  cosmopolitan  colony.  The  assur- 
ance of  liberty  of  religious  worship  attracted  in  Pennsylvania 
a  great  many  Protestant  religious  emigrants  and  exiles.  These 
included  Quakers,  Baptists,  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  Ger- 
man Lutherans,  members  of  the  German  Reformed  Church, 
Moravians,  and  others.  They  were  generally  believers  in  the 
Protestant  principle  of  training  to  read  the  Bible  as  the  road 
to  salvation,  and  each  group  of  religious  enthusiasts  set  up  a 
school  as  an  essential  part  of  its  religious  organization.  These 
church  schools  predominated  in  the  eastern  portions  of  the  state. 
In  the  more  thinly  settled  and  frontier  parts  of  the  state,  where 
these  compact  religious  communities  were  not  found,  the  more 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  185 

mixe.d  communities  tended  to  establish  subscription  (volun- 
tary), or  'neighborhood'  schools.  These  were  generally  the 
result  of  the  voluntary  co-operation  of  a  few  families,  often 
stimulated  by  some  energetic  and  wealthy  father  who  desired 
that  his  children  should  have  at  least  an  elementary  education. 
The  neighborhood  schools  were  most  common  in  the  western 
part  of  the  state.  Together  witli  the  Church  schools  they  pro- 
vided nearly  all  the  elementary  education  available  down  to 
1834." 

Another  factor  in  the  success  of  the  American  Sun- 
day school  was  that  the  Church  took  the  Sunday  school 
under  her  wings  as  a  Church  and  soon  fostered  it  as -the 
sole  church  school.  While,  at  first,  it  rather  bore  the 
character  of  the  schools  founded  by  Raikes  (compare 
especially  the  "First  Day  or  Sunday  School  Society"  of 
Philadelphia,  founded  in  1791  through  the  influence  of 
the  Episcopal  bishop  White,  the  Roman  Catholic  Matt- 
hew Carey,  and  the  Universalist  Benjamin  Rush),  it 
presently  made  all  children  the  object  of  its  efforts. 
While,  wherever  the  Church  had  no  day  schools  and 
the  State  had  failed  to  establish  public  schools,  the  Sun- 
day school  was  the  only  school  in  existence,  and  thus 
compelled  to  give  instruction  in  the  elementary  branches 
in  order  to  be  able  to  teach  religion  at  all,  such  secular 
instruction  tended  to  disappear  as  the  public  schools 
gradually  began  to  increase,  until  nothing  but  religious 
instruction  remained.  And  inasmuch  as  with  the  spread 
and  improvement  of  the  public  school  the  parish  day 
school  fell  into  disuse,  and  instruction  in  religion  was 
excluded  from  the  public  school,  the  Sunday  school  be- 
came the  school  of  the  Church,  alongside  which  there 
was  no  other.  No  wonder  that  the  forces  grew  which 
cared  for  it  and  made  an  effort  to  reduce  it  to  a  system. 

It  appears  that  the  Methodist  Church  was  the  first 


186        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

one  to  cultivate  the  Sunday  school  in  the  new  phase  of 
its  development.  After  John  Wesley  had  repeatedly  ex- 
pressed himself  as  in  favor  of  the  schools  of  Raikes  (for 
instance,  on  July  18,  1784:  "I  find  these  schools  spring- 
ing up  wherever  I  go.  Perhaps  God  may  have  a  deeper 
end  therein  than  men  are  aware  of.  Who  knows  but 
that  some  of  these  schools  may  become  nurseries  for 
Christians")  ;  and  every  Methodist  pastor,  on  the  basis 
of  the  "First  Discipline  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Churches",  had  come  to  feel  in  duty  bound  "where 
there  are  ten  children  whose  parents  are  in  the  society, 
to  meet  them  at  least  one  hour  every  week",  it  was  not 
surprising  that  the  first  American  bishop  of  the  Metho- 
dist Church,  Francis  Asbury,  in  1786,  organized  a  Sun- 
day school  in  the  house  of  Thomas  Crenshaw,  Hanover 
County,  Virginia.  In  1790,  the  Methodist  Conference  at 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  ordered  that  these  schools 
should  be  established,  "in  or  near  the  place  of  worship" ; 
provided  for  the  appointment  of  teachers,  and  fixed  the 
sessions  "from  six  in  the  morning  till  ten,  and  from  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  till  six,  when  it  does  not  interfere 
with  public  worship".  The  next  year  (1791)  a  Universa- 
list Sunday  school  was  established  in  Philadelphia,  the 
same  year  a  Friends  school  and,  in  Pawtucket,  Rhode 
Island,  a  Baptist  Sunday  school.  At  an  early  time  organi- 
zations for  the  establishment  of  such  schools  came  into 
being.  Cope,  on  the  basis  of  Brown's  investigations,  fur- 
nishes the  following  statistics  bearing  upon  this  point : 
"The  organization  of  the  'First-Day  or  Sunday  School 
Society'  of  Philadelphia,  in  1791,  was  followed  by  the  or- 
ganization of  the  'Evangelical  Society'  to  promote  Sun- 
day evening  schools  in  Philadelphia;  the  Pennsylvania 
Union  in  Pittsburgh,  1809;  the  'Female  Union  Society' 


The  Catechetical   Lahors   in  America  187 

in  New  York,  1816;  the  'New  York  Sunday  School 
Union',  1816;  the  'Boston  Society  for  the  Moral  and  Re- 
ligious Instruction  of  the  Poor';  1816.  All  these  were 
of  local  influence  only,  but  a  wider  scope  was  designed 
for  the  'Philadelphia  Sunday  and  Adult  School  Union', 
1817;  for  it  planned  to  promote  the  organization  of  new 
schools  in  villages  and  the  country.  In  1821  it  em- 
ployed what  was  probably  the  first  American  Sunday 
school  missionary,  who  organized  sixty  schools  in  six 
States.  Doubtless  this  work  prepared  the  way  for  the 
'American  Sunday  School  Union'  ".  The  assertion  is 
not  a  contravention  of  truth  that  the  most  important 
features  incorporated  in  the  program  of  the  American 
Sunday  School  Union  at  a  later  day  and,  in  one  form 
or  another,  constituting  at  this  very  day  some  of  the 
most  characteristic  principles  of  its  work,  were  pre- 
figured in  this  Philadelphia  Union.  That  the  Sunday 
school  was  to  be  interdenominational  was  one  of  the  most 
important  of  these ;  for  we  read  already  in  the  statutes 
of  the  Philadelphia  Sunday  and  Adult  School  that  it 
should  be  the  purpose  of  the  Union:  "To  cultivate 
unity  and  Christian  charity  among  those  of  different 
names" ;  and  in  the  document  by  which  the  public  was 
invited  to  support  the  work  of  the  Union,  we  read :  "The 
comparative  fewness  of  Christians  calls  for  all  prac- 
ticable and  profitable  union  among  themselves.  Divide 
and  conquer  is  the  maxim  of  their  great  foe.  Unite  and 
triumph  be  then  the  maxim  of  Christians".  Many 
publications  were  issued  to  promote  the  founding  of 
Sunday  schools  and  Sunday  school  Associations,  for  in- 
stance, a  "Model  Constitution",  "a  System  for  the  In- 
ternal Regulation  of  Sunday  Schools",  which  in- 
cluded the  "classing",  or  grading  of  the  school  in  four 


188        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

stages ;  provided  for  two  sessions  of  the  school  each 
Sunday,  issuing  thorough  rules  of  discipline  with  a 
complete  scheme  of  rewards  and  penalties  for  pupils, 
teachers,  and  officers,  based  upon  record  of  attendance, 
lessons  and  behavior.  In  1821  the  Union  printed  25,000 
Sunday  school  hymnals,  8000  class-books,  2000  Teach- 
ers' Guides,  by  John  Angell  Daniels,  81,000  premium 
books,  and,  for  the  third  time,  half  a  million  of  red  and 
blue  tickets. 

At  the  initiative  of  this  Philadelphia  Union  there 
came  about,  in  1824,  the  organization  of  the  American 
Sunday  School  Union,  which  resulted  in  the  bursting 
of  local  fetters  by  making  the  whole  country  the  sphere 
of  its  efforts.  The  aim  announced  was  as  follows :  "To 
concentrate  the  efforts  of  Sabbath-school  Associations 
in  different  sections  of  the  country;  to  strengthen  the 
hands  of  the  friends  of  pious  instruction  on  the  Lord's 
Day ;  to  disseminate  useful  information ;  to  circulate 
moral  and  religious  publications  in  every  part  of  the 
land;  and  to  endeavor  to  plant  a  Sunday  school  wher- 
ever there  is  a  population".  The  principles  underlying 
the  work  were  to  be :  "No  sacrifice  of  principle  essen- 
tial to  salvation ;  no  compromise  of  duty ;  no  interfer- 
ence with  the  internal  management  of  smaller  associa- 
tions ;  all  discordant  elements  must  be  banished,  and 
(there  must  be)  union  with  Christ. and  union  with  each 
other".  Upon  this  basis  the  fundamental  Christian 
truths,  as  maintained  by  all  denominations,  were  to  be 
inculcated.  While  the  individual  members  of  the  A. 
S.  S.  U.  were  given  leave  to  maintain  their  denomina- 
tional independence,  they  were,  in  this  work,  to  ally 
themselves  with  the  representatives  of  other  denomina- 
tions for  the  purpose  of  teaching  "the  truths  that  Christ 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  189 

taught  and  as  plainly  as  He  taught  them".  The  work 
of  the  A.  S.  S.  A.  was  of  the  utmost  importance  for  the 
development  of  the  Sunday  school  in  our  country.  A 
literature  for  Sunday  school  pupils  and  teachers  of  great 
volume  was  published  by  it;  lesson  plans  were  pre- 
pared and  recommended  to  all  schools;  teaching-helps, 
from  the  Bible  to  the  most  modest  text-cards,  were  plac- 
ed at  the  disposal  of  its  constituents ;  new  schools  were 
organized  with  greatest  enthusiasm  and  zeal.  At  the 
assembly  of  1830  the  resolution  was  passed  "within  two 
years  to  establish  a  Sunday  school  in  every  destitute 
place  where  it  is  practicable  throughout  the  valley  of 
the  Mississippi".  From  Cincinnati,  seventy-eight  mis- 
sionaries proceeded  accordingly  into  the  territory  to  be 
occupied,  and  organized  2876  schools  on  the  shores  of 
the  Mississippi  and  in  the  adjoining  territory.  In  1832 
the  A.  S.  S.  U.  summoned  the  representatives  of  the 
Sunday  school  cause  from  all  over  the  country,  thus 
bringing  about,  on  the  third  of  October  of  that  year,  in 
the  City  of  New  York,  the  first  national  convention. 
Ouestionaires  previously  sent  out,  together  with  the 
answers,  produced  valuable  material  in  regard  to  the 
actual  condition  and  the  further  needs  of  the  Sunday 
school.  On  the  basis  of  this  material,  Cope  summarizes 
the  situation  at  that  time  in  the  following  manner :  "1. 
There  were  several  distinct  types  of  schools ;  infant 
schools,  mission  schools,  adult  schools,  evening  schools, 
as  well  as  the  general  schools.  2.  Lesson  plans  were 
many.  Some  spent  over  an  hour  in  class  memorization 
of  long  passages  of  Scriptures ;  others  simply  told  bibli- 
cal and  other  stories ;  some  assigned  one  verse  for  each 
day  of  the  week,  the  whole  being  the  basis  of  recitation 
and   comment   on   Sunday ;   the   tendency  was   to   adopt 


190        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  limited  portions  designed  by  the  A.  S.  S.  U.,  all 
schools  aided  by  the  society  being  required  to  use  the 
same  lessons ;  everywhere  the  emphasis  was  on  biblical 
material.  3.  Nearly  all  schools  were  directed  by  sup- 
erintendents. 4.  Libraries  of  general  literature  were  es- 
tablished in  many  schools.*)  The  type  of  book  after- 
ward known  as  a  "Sunday  school  book"  was  almost  a 
specific  creation.  5,  Special  "Bible  classes"  for  church 
members  and  "adult  classes"  were  organized.  6.  Many 
schools  met  on  Sunday  afternoon,  the  sessions  often  be- 
ing two  hours  in  length.  7.  In  the  frontier  regions 
schools  were  organized  before  churches  and  became  the 
parents  of  the  latter.  8.  In  the  cities  there  were  many 
mission  schools  not  immediately  connected  with  speci- 
fic churches".  At  this  first  national  convention,  by 
special  resolution,  the  rule  was  laid  down  that  schools 
were  to  be  established  not  only  for  neglected  and  vi- 
cious children,  but  "that  the  Sunday  school  should  em- 
brace all  classes  of  the  community".  The  second  na- 
tional convention  took  place  in  1833.  It  urged  the  estab- 
lishment of  Sunday  schools  in  penitentiaries  and  refor- 
matory schools,  and  advised  the  formation  of  groups 
for  the  home  study  of  Holy  Scripture. 

There  was  no  national  convention  within  the  next 
twenty-six  years.  All  kinds  of  reasons  can  be  assigned 
for  this.     Not  the  least  of  them  was  the  arousing  of 


*)  There  were  no  public  libraries  at  that  time,  nor  did 
any  specific  juvenile  literature  exist  in  English ;  President 
Humphrey  of  Amherst  could  enumerate,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  but  six  juvenile  publications,  and  in 
these  he  included  Webster's  Spelling  Book,  Robinson  Crusoe, 
and  Pilgrim's  Progress  !  1812,  in  Boston,  the  first  Sunday  school 
library  was  instituted;  1830  the  A.  S.  S.  A.  printed  two  hundred 
books   for  Sundav  school  libraries. 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  191 

denominational  consciousness  during  this  period,  whose 
vigorous  development  naturally  involved  a  conflict  with 
an  association  for  expressly  promoting  the  Sunday 
school,  which  lacked  the  invigorating  force  of  denomi- 
national consciousness ;  ignored,  as  a  matter  of  princi- 
ple, everything  distinctively  denominational ;  actually 
usurped  authority  over  the  churches  with  a  message 
concerning  Christ  without  trace  of  denominational 
color;  and  assumed  a  task  originally  that  of  the  Church, 
which  the  latter  could  not  abandon  without  becoming 
unfaithful  to  itself.  Thus  it  came  about  that  the  de- 
nominations organized  their  own  Sunday  school  associa- 
tions. The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  called  into  being 
its  own  organization  for  the  cultivation  of  the  Sunday 
school  in  1827;  the  Unitarians  followed  in  the  same 
year;  the  Lutherans  (thereof  later)  in  1830;  the  Con- 
gregationalists  in  1832;  the  Baptists  in  1826  or  1840  re- 
spectively; the  Southern  Baptists  in  1857;  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  there  was  formed  in  1833  "The  Board 
of  Managers  of  the  Presbyterian  Tract  and  Sabbath 
School  Book  Society",  in  which  the  subsequent  Sunday 
school  work  of  that  church  took  its  rise.  Through  such 
denominational  enterprises  those  twenty-six  years  be- 
came a  period  of  a  widely  ramifying  opposition  to  the 
supra-denominational  idea  advocated  by  the  A.  S.  S. 
A.  and  its  national  convention.  The  historians  of  the 
A.  S.  S.  A.  affect  to  characterize  this  movement  as  sec- 
tarian ;  however,  it  is  not  only  intelligible : — it  was  neces- 
sitated by  the  very  character  of  the  Church.  While  the 
A.  S.  S.  A.  found  its  activity  circumscribed  in  this  way, 
it  henceforth  devoted  itself  with  redoubled  energy  to 
the  publication  of  periodicals,  teachers'  manuals,  and 
Sunday  school  literature  in  general,  and  also  the  found- 


192        The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

ing  of  Sunday  schools  wherever  they  had  not  as  yet 
been  called  into  life  by  individual  denominations.  Of 
special  importance  was  the  publication  of  the  "Sunday 
School  Journal",  in  which  the  pedagogic  views  of 
Sturm,  Comenius,  Milton,  Francke,  'Rousseau,  Pesta- 
lozzi, Froebel,  and  the  existing  or  recent  systems,  as,  for 
example,  that  of  Lancaster  and  those  of  Bell,  Gall,  Stow, 
and  Wimpriss,  were  made  subjects  of  discussion  and 
considered  from  the  standpoint  of  their  possible  use 
for  the  Sunday  school  cause.  An  improvement  of  me- 
thod was  thus  inevitable;  and  that  was  an  undoubted 
gain  for  all  schools,  including  the  denominational  ones. 
Of  great  influence  upon  the  Sunday  school  and  the 
cultivation  of  the  Christian  spirit  in  America  in  general 
was  the  production  of  a  Christian  juvenile  literature. 
The  constructive  principles  in  the  premises  were,  ac- 
cording to  E.  W.  Rice:  "1.  The  literature  must  be  suited 
to  the  development  of  the  child  mind ;  2.  pure  in  tone ; 
3.  serious  rather  than  sensational ;  4.  ingenious,  but  not 
absurd;  5.  popular  rather  than  polished;  6.  thoroughly 
biblical  and  evangelical ;  7.  truly  American,  written  by 
American  writers,  statesmen,  and  philanthropists,  redo- 
lent of  American  mountains,  forests,  prairies,  rivers, 
history,  and  yet  filled  with  the  spirit  of  the  Word,  not 
of  the  world".  In  1845  the  Union  began  to  publish  its 
Sunday  school  library  of  a  hundred  volumes  of  from 
seventy-two  to  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  pages  each, 
which  was  sold  for  ten  dollars.  Three  other  series  of  a 
hundred  volumes  each  followed.  If  we  add  to  these 
publications  the  juvenile  periodicals  and  papers  ("The 
Youth's  Penny  Gazette"  with  full-page  illustrations  ap- 
peared in  1843)  ;  the  hymnals,  for  which  men  like  Mason 
and   Hastings   produced   the  melodies ;   the   great  num- 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  193 

ber  of  schools  henceforth  organized;  the  arousing  of 
missionary  interest  (as  early  as  1836  there  was  incor- 
porated in  its  program  of  work  "to  assist  in  carrying 
the  Gospel  to  every  family  in  the  world,  and  to  insure 
the  religious  instruction  of  every  child  that  is  born"),  it 
is  readily  seen  what  a  stream  of  blessing  there  proceeded 
from  the  A.  S.  S.  A.,  even  after  its  activity  had  re- 
ceived a  check  through  the  organization  of  denomina- 
tional schools  and  school  associations.  Nor  should  it 
be  forgotten  that  the  lesson  plans  developed  by  this 
body  were  used  by  denominational  Sunday  schools  far 
and  wide,  in  that  the  lessons  selected  by  the  Associa- 
tion were  adopted  by  them  and  explained  from  the  de- 
nominational standpoint. 

In  1859  the  third  national  convention  was  in  ses- 
sion in  Philadelphia.  On  this  accasion  the  western  sec- 
tion was  largely  represented.  Conspicuous  on  the  floor 
of  the  assembly,  besides  Clay  Trumbull  (since  1871 
secretary  of  the  American  S.  S.  A.  and  chairman  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  National  Sunday  School 
Convention,  and  soon  afterward  editor  and  in  part  owner 
of  the  Sunday  School  Times,  died  in  1903,  Congrega- 
tionalist),  was  Benjamin  Franklin  Jacobs  (a  Baptist 
and  business  man  of  Chicago,  author  of  the  "Uniform 
Lessons",  a  prominent  representative  of  the  Sunday 
school  cause  in  Illinois,  an  indefatigable  worker  on  the 
staff  of  the  lesson  committee,  and,  later,  president  of  the 
Sunday  School  Union,  died  in  1902),  and  John  Heyl 
Vincent,  of  Joliet,  111.  (Methodist,  leader  in  the  move- 
ment for  the  International  Uniform  Lessons,  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Chautauqua  Assembly  with  its  regular 
course  for  Sunday  school  teachers  (1874),  since  1888 
bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church).     After  the 


194       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Civil  War,  in  1869,  the  fourth  national  convention  met 
in  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  the  fifth  in  1872  in  Indianapolis. 
A  twofold  important  action  on  the  latter  occasion  de- 
serves special  mention :  the  plan  of  the  Uniform  Lesson 
Leaves  was  adopted  and  a  committee  created  for  elab- 
orating them  (composed  of  twelve  members,  afterward 
by  the  addition  of  two  Canadians  increased  to  four- 
teen), and  the  National  Convention  was  changed  to  an 
International  one,  which  has  been  in  session  bi-ennially 
ever  since.  In  1889  there  followed  the  first  World  Sun- 
day School  Convention,  which  met  in  London, — a  result 
chiefly  of  Jacobs's  initiative.  At  its  fifth  convention, 
1907  in  Rome,  its  name  was  changed  into  World's  S.  S. 
Convention.  Its  purpose,  policy,  and  field  were  defined 
as  follows :  'That  this  Association  shall  hold  con- 
ventions and  gather  information  concerning  the  condi- 
tion of  Sunday  schools  throughout  the  world  by  cor- 
respondence, visitation,  and  other  methods ;  that  it  shall 
seek  to  extend  the  work  and  increase  the  efficiency  of 
Sunday  schools  and  missionary  organizations  and  other- 
wise, especially  in  those  regions  of  the  world  most  in 
need  of  help ;  that  it  shall  seek  to  improve,  so  far  as 
possible,  the  methods  of  organization  and  instruction 
in  Sunday  schools  and  promote  the  formation  of  the 
Sunday  School  Unions  and  Associations".  By  agree- 
ment the  world  field  was  divided  for  the  purpose  of 
financial  administrative  responsibility:  Europe,  Aus- 
tralia, South  Africa,  India, — the  British  Section  of  the 
Executive  Committee,  North  and  South  America,  Japan, 
Korea,  Phillippines,  Turkey,  North  Africa — the  Ameri- 
can section  of  the  committee.  China  to  be  jointly 
administered  by  the  British  and  American  sections.  In 
1913  the  assemblv  met  in  Zurich.     The  chief  feature 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  195 

was  the  resport  of  the  Six  Commissions  of 
the  Association  on  the  S.  S.  conditions,  needs,  and  op- 
portunities of  the  world,  covering  continental  Europe, 
South  Africa,  the  Orient,  Latin  America,  and  the  Mo- 
hammedan lands.  The  eighth  convention  had  been  an- 
nounced for  1916,  with  Tokio,  Japan,  as  meeting-place. 
In  1914  existed  190,841  schools,  with  1,739,096  officers 
and  teachers  and  19,456,160  pupils,  an  aggregate  from 
which  12,000  schools  and  about  three  million  pupils 
have  to  be  deducted  as  non-evangelical  or  even  non- 
Christian.  To  the  world  association  belonged  in  1913, 
in  a  hundred  and  forty  countries,  28,701,489  members 
in  297,866  schools,  with  2,624,896  officers  and  teachers. 
The  attempt  is  made  to  use  everywhere  within  the 
confines  of  the  International  S.  S.  Association  the  same 
lessons,  which  are  treated  independently  by  the  several 
denominations,  in  accordance  with  their  convictions.  In 
this  way  there  is  an  effort  to  do  justice  to  the  individual 
denominations  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  give  visible  ex- 
pression to  the  unity  of  the  churches  composing  the  As- 
sociation. This  is  the  result  of  a  compromise  between 
the  supra-denominational  principles  of  the  A.  S.  S.  A. 
and  the  demands  of  the  denominations  since  1872 — a 
result  that  has  made  itself  widely  but  by  no  means  uni- 
versally felt,  in  that  there  are  many  Sunday  schools 
today,  for  instance  most  Lutheran  ones,  which  are,  in- 
deed, numbered  in  the  statistics  of  the  International  S. 
S.  A.,  without,  however,  conforming  to  its  lesson  plan. 
However,  in  order  to  do  justice  to  the  tasks  that,  irre- 
spective of  the  recognized  independence  of  the  denomi- 
national Sunday  school  associations,  all  Sunday  schools 
have  in  common,  especially  in  regard  to  method,  which 
is   impossible   at   the   conventions   of  the   International 


196       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Sunday  School  Association,  there  was  organized  in 
1910  a  Sunday  School  Council  of  Evangelical  Denomi- 
nations, At  the  present  time,  there  belong  to  it  one 
hundred  and  fifty  Sunday  school  editors,  publishers, 
and  secretaries,  representing  all  the  more  important 
Evangelical  denominations  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada.  To  bring  the  later  discoveries  in  the  spheres 
of  psychology,  pedagogics,  and  sociology  to  bear  upon 
the  courses  of  the  Sunday  school  is  one  of  the  tasks 
which  it  has  set  itself.  The  resolutions  passed  hitherto 
evince  the  fact  that  salutary  and  dangerous  effects  (uni- 
fying tendencies  whereby  the  New  Testament  center  is 
shifted)  are  liable  to  emanate  from  the  Council  upon 
the  present  Sunday  school. 

In  regard  to  the  teaching  material  used  by  Ameri- 
can Sunday  schools,  the  general  statement  is  justified 
that,  since  the  Sunday  school  has  been  able  to  leave  ele- 
mentary instruction  to  the  public  school,  which  mean- 
while had  come  into  being  or  acquired  greater  fitness 
for  the  task,  all  instruction  has  been  based  on  the 
Bible,  either  directly  or  indirectly.  Only  a  few  more 
recent  arrangements  depart  in  some  grades  of  the  lesson 
plan  from  this  practise,  dealing  with  general  subjects, 
which  they  attempt  to  turn  to  account  religiously — with 
tales,  matters  from  natural  history  and  daily  life.  In 
regard  to  the  method  employed  in  introducing  the  pu- 
pils to  Scripture,  several  periods  stand  out  from  the 
others  with  more  or  less  distinctness.  At  first  the  mem- 
ory method  was  deemed  sufficient.  The  schools  were 
held  to  commit  to  memory  shorter  or  longer  sections  of 
Holy  Scripture  and  to  recite  on  Sunday  what  had  been 
thus  memorized.  Spurred  by  the  promise  of  a  reward, 
some   children  committed  a   hundred  verses   and  more 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  197 

during  the  course  of  one  week,  in  some  instances  even 
a  whole  book  of  the  Bible.  While  there  is  no  doubt 
that  it  is  a  benefit  to  have  in  one's  memory  a  treasure 
of  Bible  passages,  serious  difficulties  stood  in  the  way 
of  success.  Even  where  the  Sunday  school  period  occu- 
pied two  full  hours,  it  was  consumed  by  the  recitation 
of  the  memorized  material,  no  time  being  left  for  an 
explanation  and  an  application  to  life.  That  by  such 
a  method  no  religious  insight,  still  less  religious  life, 
was  possible,  goes  without  saying.  A  step  of  progress 
was  therefore  taken  when,  in  1825,  Gall's  method  was 
introduced  in  the  Sunday  schools  of  the  United  States. 
Dr.  James  Gall,  of  Edinburg,  Scotland,  had  applied  in 
1810  to  the  Sunday  school  the  method  known  as  "Na- 
ture's Normal  School",  according  to  which  the  individ- 
ual lesson  was  composed  of  a  short  Bible  narrative, 
which,  having  been  told  by  the  teacher,  was  explained 
by  the  question  and  answer  method.  But  the  whole  pro- 
cess was  so  mechanical  that  it  was  impossible  either  to 
impart  knowledge  to  the  pupil  or  to  stir  his  soul.  Then, 
in  1829,  the  Rev.  Albert  Judson  proposed  to  the  Ameri- 
can Sunday  School  Association  a  lesson  plan  which 
embraced  five  years  and  was  calculated  to  bring  before 
every  class  one  and  the  same  lesson,  with  a  regular  re- 
view at  the  end  of  every  quarter.  This  plan  was  accept- 
ed and  carried  out  in  the  form  of  books  or  leaves  con- 
taining the  elaborated  lessons,  and,  through  the  influ- 
ence of  the  A.  S.  S.  A.,  widely  adopted.  In  distinction 
from  the  Uniform  Lessons  introduced  in  1872,  the  pe- 
riod inaugurated  by  the  adoption  of  Judson's  plan  can 
be  designated  as  the  First  Uniform  Lesson  Period.  By 
this  method,  the  pupils  were  led  in  a  space  of  five  years 
through  the  whole  Bible,  and  held  to  really  study  and 


198       The  Historical   Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

meditate  upon  the  Bible.  Of  course,  everything  of  a 
confessional  character  was  passed  over.  Among  the 
"helps"  elaborated  for  the  purpose  the  three-graded 
''questions"  of  Judson  maintained  their  hold  for  a  long 
time,  especially  the  "Union  Questions",  which,  at  a 
later  day,  were  published  by  John  Hall  in  revised  form 
in  five  little  volumes,  afterward,  after  an  extension  of 
the  course,  to  be  increased  to  seven,  and,  finally,  the  re- 
view year  having  been  included,  even  to  twelve.  For 
beginners,  "The  Child's  Scripture  Question  Book"  was 
issued,  and  for  adult  Bible  classes  McDowell's  and 
Tyng's  lessons.  From  the  standpoint  of  method,  this 
is  Cope's  judgment :  "The  examination  of  a  textbook 
of  1830,  with  the  assigned  lesson,  analysis  of  the  nar- 
rative, series  of  questions,  explanation  of  unfamiliar 
words,  exposition  of  the  doctrine  and  applications  on 
practical  lessons,  shows  that  these  'lessons'  were  at 
least  as  good  as  those  in  the  average  'quarterlies'  of 
sixty  years  later".  When  denominational  Sunday 
school  associations  had  once  been  formed,  there  resulted 
a  great  variety  of  lesson  plans  and  methods,  for  which 
reason  this  period  by  the  historians  of  the  Interdenomi- 
national Lessons  is  contemptuously  designated  as 
the  period  of  the  Babel  Systems.  In  many  schools 
the  Uniform  Lessons  of  1829  or  1830  were  con- 
tinued; others  devised  their  own;  in  some  cases 
we  already  find  the  attempt  to  adapt  the  lesson 
to  the  respective  stages  of  development  of  the 
child,  the  Unitarians  leading  with  eight  graded  texts. 
The  Episcopal  Church  made  the  Church  Year  the  basis 
of  its  lesson  plan.  John  H.  Vincent  published  in  his 
"Sunday  School  Teacher"  a  course  with  the  title :  "Two 
Years  with  Jesus".     The  capable,  albeit  somewhat  pas- 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  199 

sionate,  Edward  Eggleston,  in  1867  published  another  in 
his  "National  S.  S.  Teacher";  and  showed  with  great 
skill  in  his  "Manual :  a  Practical  Guide  to  S.  S.  Work", 
how  to  use  the  plan.  An  uncompromising  opponent  of 
the  "Uniform  Lesson"— the  same  lesson  on  the  same 
day  for  all  classes — ,  he  was  convinced  that  the  schools 
required  a  variety  of  lessons,  "just  as  day  school  would 
need  more  than  one  'reader'  or  one  course  in  arithmetic". 
On  the  other  hand,  it  seemed  imperative  to  the  National 
Convention  of  1869  to  do  something  toward  introducing 
uniformity  into  the  Sunday  school.  At  this  juncture  B. 
F.  Jacobs  came  forth  with  a  plan  conceived  by  himself. 
He  conceived  the  idea  of  a  uniform  set  of  Bible  selec- 
tions for  all  Sunday  schools,  on  which  different  publish- 
ers and  denominations  might  prepare  their  own  helps. 
The  independence  of  the  denominations  thus  being  safe- 
guarded, while,  at  the  same  time,  all  the  schools  were 
joined  together  by  the  one  lesson,  Jacobs's  plan  was 
adopted  with  an  overwhelming  majority  in  spite  of  the 
energetic  opposition  of  Eggleston,  who  denounced  the 
proposition  as  a  movement  backward,  of  which  he  as- 
serted that  "it  would  pull  down  good  schools,  produce 
a  dead  level  uniformity";  that  (after  1880)  "the  system 
of  rigid  adherence  to  one  lesson  for  all  the  school,  com- 
bined with  selections  now  and  then  of  subjects  fit  only 
for  a  theological  seminary,  is  not  in  accordance  with 
practical  wisdom".  A  lesson  committee  was  created, 
which  was  composed  of  twelve  members,  but  soon  aug- 
mented to  fourteen  and  made  international  by  the  addi- 
tion of  two  Canadian  representatives.  Therewith  the 
period  of  the  International  Uniform  Lessons  had  begun. 
After  these  lessons  had  dominated  the  whole  field  for 
thirteen  years,  a  special  series  was  demanded  in  1885,  at 


200       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

least  for  the  younger  pupils.  In  1890  the  London  S.  S. 
Union  called  for  "a  system  of  graded  lessons,  in  which 
the  same  subjects  shall  be  considered,  but  with  dif- 
ferent Scripture  chosen,  first  for  the  primary  classes, 
and  then  for  the  more  advanced  classes".  Taking  the 
hint,  Erastus  Blakeslee  issued  upon  his  own  responsibil- 
ity a  graded  lesson  system,  which  formed  a  six-year 
course  of  connected  and  orderly  Bible  study.  But  the 
leaders  of  the  International  S.  S.  Association,  who  had 
put  through  the  Uniform  Lesson  System  in  opposition 
to  Eggleston  and  others,  for  quite  a  time  lent  a  deaf  ear 
to  these  wishes,  although  it  was  obvious  that  beginners 
and  adults  have  quite  distinct  needs,  which  cannot  be 
met  by  graded  helps  alone,  because  due  discrimination 
in  the  selection  of  suitable  texts  or  lessons  is  required. 
It  is  significant  that  it  was  the  Primary  Workers  who, 
during  the  process  of  the  transactions,  demanded  with 
increasing  firmness  separate  teaching  material  for  their 
classes,  thus  becoming  the  real  bearers  of  the  move- 
ment on  behalf  of  the  graded  lessons.  The  increasing 
interest  in  the  study  of  the  inner  life  of  the  child  and  its 
gradual  development,  which  set  in  in  our  country  from 
twenty  to  twenty-five  years  ago,  became  an  added  factor 
in  the  movement.  At  a  conference  held  in  1903  one  of 
the  speakers  said  quite  plainly :  "The  old  education  put 
the  material  first,  and  the  child  second ;  the  new  edu- 
cation puts  the  child  before  the  material".  But  much  ef- 
fort and  heated  battling  were  necessary  until  the  Louis- 
ville convention  of  1908  adopted  the  recommendations 
of  a  conference  of  leading  personages — both  men  and 
women — in  the  International  S.  S.  Association,  which 
had  met  in  January  of  that  year  in  Boston.  These 
recommendations  were  :     1.  That  the  system  of  general 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  201 

lessons  for  the  whole  school,  which  has  been  in  suc- 
cessful use  for  thirty-five  years,  is  still  the  most  prac- 
ticable and  effective  system  for  the  great  majority  of 
the  Sunday  schools  of  North  America.  Because  of  its 
past  accomplishments,  its  present  usefulness,  and  its  fu- 
ture possibilities,  we  recommend  its  continuance  and  its 
fullest  development;  2.  that  the  need  for  a  graded  sys- 
tem of  lessons  is  expressed  by  so  many  schools  and 
workers  that  it  should  be  adequately  met  by  the  Inter- 
national S.  S.  Association,  and  that  the  Lesson  Commit- 
tee should  be  instructed  by  the  next  International  Con- 
vention to  continue  the  preparation  of  a  thoroughly 
graded  course  covering  the  entire  range  of  the  Sun- 
day school".  Hardly  had  the  first  copies  of  the  Graded 
Lessons  been  given  out  when  the  Southern  Baptists  and 
Presbyterians  ranged  themselves  in  just  opposition  to 
the  material  selected,  on  the  ground  that  liberal  tenden- 
cies were  manifest  therein  (absence  of  doctrine,  presence 
of  extra-biblical  lessons,  omission  of  many  important 
topics,  and  liberal  interpretation  of  Scriptures).  These 
strictures  did  not  remain  altogether  without  fruit. 
Graded  Lessons  are  now  extant  for  Beginners  (four 
to  five  years  of  age)  two  years ;  Primary  (six  to  eight 
years)  three  years;  Juniors  (nine  to  twelve  years)  four 
years ;  Seniors  (seventeen  to  twenty-one  years)  four 
years.  From  1908,  accordingly,  dates  the  period  when, 
alongside  the  International  Uniform  Lessons,  the  Inter- 
national Graded  Lessons  exist  in  the  International  Sun- 
day School  Association  by  right.  Among  the  schools  in 
which  the  graded  lessons  have  been  used  for  a  period  of 
years,  and  modern  psychology  and  pedagogics  exert 
their  sway — often,  indeed,  at  the  expense  of  Bible  truth, 
and   whose   influence   upon   the   Sunday   school   in   our 


202       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

country  has  been  strong,  whether  for  good  or  evil,  there 
should  be  mentioned  especially  the  Model  Sunday  school 
at  Columbia  University,  New  York  City,  the  Univer- 
sity Congregational  School  at  Hyde  Park,  Chicago,  and 
the  Hyde  Park  Sunday  school,  Chicago,  both  closely 
in  touch  with  the  University  of  Chicago. 

In  the  Lutheran  Church  there  was  at  first  complete 
dependence  upon  the  catechetical  labors  of  the  home 
Church.  It  is  seen  in  the  plea  of  Springer,  when,  on  the 
last  of  May,  1693,  he  asked  the  home  Church  in  Sweden 
for  two  hundred  copies  of  the  Catechism.  The  Ger- 
man emissaries  were  connected  with  the  pietistic  move- 
ment of  the  mother  Church.  As  a  case  in  point,  Boltzius, 
of  Charleston,  reports  how  he  handled  the  Catechism 
evening  by  evening  for  young  and  old.  In  his  notes  we 
find  the  characteristic  sentence :  "Yesterday  evening 
we  reviewed  the  Seventh  Commandment,  and  today  we 
take  up  the  Eighth.  Some  of  the  adults  in  the  congre- 
gation were  deeply  stirred.  In  explaining  the  command- 
ments to  the  ordinary  hearers  we  find  it  necessary  not 
only  to  indicate  the  sins  prohibited  and  the  virtues  en- 
joined therein  in  general  terms,  but  to  specialize  them 
accurately  according  to  the  local  circumstances".  Muh- 
lenberg's fidelity  in  the  instruction  of  the  neglected 
youth  is  well  known.  With  greater  regularity,  how- 
ever, than  was  possible  for  Muhlenberg  in  view  of  his 
many  travels,  "Kinderlehre" — rehearsing  the  doctrine 
of  the  Gospel  with  the  young — was  conducted  by  Brunn- 
holz,  who,  by  reason  of  impaired  health,  was  tied  down 
to  one  place.  He  instructed  the  youth  in  the  Small  Cate- 
chism, and  the  older  folk  and  the  servants  in  the  way 
of  salvation  and  Biblical  History.  This  arrangement 
of  material  evidences  Francke's  influence.    It  is  to  be  re- 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  203 

gretted  that,  later,  rationalism  entered  from  Germany, 
which  did  not  fail  to  exert  its  influence  in  the  catechetical 
text  books,  and  nowhere  with  less  disguise  than  in  the 
catechism  issued  by  F.  G.  Quitman  in  1812  or,  possibly, 
1814  (Evangelical  Catechism,  Hudson,  1814).  It  is 
true  that  the  opposition  to  such  perversion  was  at  times 
rather  feeble;  but  altogether  the  Lutheran  confession 
was  never  allowed  to  die  in  catechetical  instruction.  To 
this  time  belong  the  "Text  Books  for  the  North  Carolina 
Youth",  prepared  and  edited  by  Prof.  John  Caspar  Velt- 
husen  in  1787  at  the  request  of  Nuessmann,  the  emis- 
sary to  the  German  Lutherans  in  North  Carolina.  The 
purpose  was  to  publish  the  following  series  of  books : 
1.  A  catechism;  2.  a  set  of  questions  based  on  the 
catechism ;  3.  a  biblical  manual  for  everyone ;  4.  a  se- 
lection of  biblical  narratives  together  with  a  brief  sa- 
cred history;  5.  the  most  useful  facts  of  every-day 
knowledge;  6.  a  manual  of  civic  knowledge;  7.  a  geo- 
graphical manual.  Of  these  projected  books  at  least 
the  first  two  made  their  appearance  and  are  extant  still, 
namely,  "Helmstaedtischer  Katechismus  oder  christ- 
licher Religionsunterricht  nach  Anleitung  der  Heiligen 
Schrift" — Helmstaedt  Catechism,  or  Instruction  in  the 
Christian  Religion  at  the  Hand  of  Holy  Scripture — ,  and 
'Fragebuch  fuer  Eltern  und  Lehrer,  oder  Anleitung  zu 
Fragen  und  Gespraechen  ueber  den  Katechismus  mit 
Ruecksicht  auf  die  Faehigkeiten  und  Alter  der  Jugend" 
— Book  of  Questions  for  Parents  and  Teachers,  or  a 
Guide  to  Questions  and  Conversations  on  the  Subject 
Df  the  Catechism,  with  Special  Consideration  of  the  di- 
versities of  Age  and  capacity  on  the  Part  of  the  Young, 
'n  his  catechism,  which  is  primarily  a  first-class  collec- 
ion  of  Bible  passages,  Velthusen  confesses  faith  in  the 


204       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

Triune  God,  in  the  eternal  sonship  of  God,  in  the  vir- 
gin birth,  in  the  vicarious  atonement  through  the  death 
of  Christ.  However,  in  teaching  the  appropriation  of 
salvation  he  pays  tribute  to  the  rationalism  of  his  times 
both  in  regard  to  terminology  and  subject-matter,  thus 
preventing  the  doctrine  confessed  and  advocated  by  him 
from  being  consistently  applied. — To  this  period  belong 
also  the  following  catechetical  writings,  written  from 
altogether  different  standpoints :  H.  Muehlenberg,  A 
Companion  to  the  Catechism,  or  a  Course  of  Instruction 
in  the  Christian  Religion,  for  the  Benefit  of  the  Young; 
A.  Wackerhagen,  Inbegriff  der  Glaubens-  und  Sitten- 
lehre, Philadelphia,  1804;  Anfangsgrunde  der  Reli- 
gion, oder  Katechismus  fuer  kleine  Kinder  (anony- 
mous) Lebanon,  1814;  G.  Vorberg,  Handbuch  fuer  die 
Konfirmierten,  New  York,  published  also  in  English 
under  the  title:  Way-marks  for  the  Confirmed,  1815; 
Ph.  F.  Mayer,  Instructions  in  the  Principles  and  Duties 
of  the  Christian  Religion,  for  Children  and  Youth,  1816; 
David  Henkel,  Deutscher  und  Englischer  Katechismus; 
J.  G.  Lochmann,  Hauptinhalt  der  christlichen  Lehre, 
and   Evangelical   Catechism,   Harrisburg,    1822. 

As  educational  institutions  there  were  the  parish 
and  the  catechumen  schools.  The  Pennsylvania  Synod 
alone  had  as  late  as  1812  one  hundred  and  sixty  parish 
schools;  and  the  instruction  of  the  young  on  Sunday 
(Christenlehre)  was  still  found  in  many  congregations. 
When  the  Sunday  school  began  to  make  its  way  in  Ame- 
rica in  its  new  form,  the  Lutheran  Church,  too,  at  once 
adopted  it  as  agency  of  instruction  alongside  the  others. 
Some  German-Lutheran  congregations  were  the  pio- 
neers in  this  respect.  It  was  on  the  seventh  of  May, 
1804,   that   a   widow   of   Philadelphia  began   a   Sunday 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  205 

school  with  five  or  six  children  in  the  Saint  Michael's 
and  Zion's  Congregations.  Saint  Paul's  Church  fol- 
lowed the  example.  At  the  sessions  of  1811  and  1812 
the  North  Carolina  Synod  enjoined  the  founding  of  such 
schools.  In  1819  Christ  Church,  of  York,  and  Zion's, 
of  Harrisburg,  established  such  schools.  Through  the 
efforts  of  Adam  Keller  a  Sunday  school  was  estab- 
lished in  Saint  John's,  of  Philadelphia,  with  nineteen 
teachers  and  an  attendance  of  sixty  scholars  in  the 
forenoon  and  of  one  hundred  in  the  afternoon  on  the 
first  day.  In  1828  such  a  school  came  into  being  in 
Lancaster,  and  in  1829,  in  Reading.  Growth  was  slow, 
particularly  for  the  reason  that  the  day  schools  were 
still  in  commission  in  considerable  numbers,  thus  les- 
sening the  need  for  the  Sunday  school  in  its  new  form.  In 
1838  the  Pennsylvania  Synod  numbered  twenty-six,  in 
1844,  already  seventy-three  schools.  In  1830,  that  is, 
no  later  than  six  years  after  the  American  Sunday 
School  Union  had  been  founded,  the  General  Synod  es- 
tablished a  Lutheran  Sunday  School  Union;  and  sub- 
sequently influential  men  like  S.  S.  Schmucker  (Plea  for 
the  Sabbath  School  System,  delivered  on  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  Gettysburg  Sunday  school,  1830),  S.  A. 
Seiss  (Thoughts  on  Education,  address  to  the  Sabbath 
School  Union,  Cumberland,  Md.,  1859),  and  Benjamin 
Kurtz  (Sermon  on  Sabbath  Schools)  advocated  the 
cultivation  of  this  institution.  Inasmuch  as  the  day 
schools  would  not  thrive  in  the  Church  as  far  as  it  spoke 
English,  the  Sunday  school  became  a  necessity  in  view 
of  the  inadequacy  of  catechetical  instruction.  C.  T. 
Heyer,  later  prominent  as  a  missionary  to  the  heathen, 
who  had  officiated  as  teacher  in  the  Newark  parish 
school  in  his  youth,  traversed  extensive  territory  in  the 


206       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

thirties  as  the  representative  of  the  Lutheran  Sunday 
School  Association.  More  rapid  progress  was  made 
since  about  1840,  the  year  in  which  congregations  as 
influential  as  Saint  Matthews  and  Saint  James,  of  New 
^ork,  established  schools.  In  German  quarters  it  was 
especially  Brobst  that  was  solicitous  for  the  welfare  of 
tne  Sunday  school,  in  view  of  the  ignorance  of  many 
children  even  in  families  connected  with  the  church. 
He,  therefore,  not  only  published  his  "Fragebuechlein 
fuer  die  Anfangsgrunde  der  Religion",  but  also  a  book- 
let in  which  he  gave  instruction  how  to  open  and  close 
the  Sunday  school  in  a  liturgical  manner.  In  1854  he, 
together  with  Vogelbach  and  B.  M.  Schmucker,  had 
been  appointed  to  address  a  letter  to  the  congregations 
in  the  interest  of  the  Sunday  school.  He  accomplished 
his  task  so  perfectly  that  an  English  translation  of  his 
letter  was  issued  as  late  as  the  eighties.  Hymnals  and 
lesson  leaves  for  Lutheran  schools,  intended  as  intro- 
duction to  the  Scriptures  and  evangelical  doctrine,  were 
published ;  and  the  Catechism  was  arranged  to  meet 
the  requirements  of  the  Sunday  school.  As  long  as  cat- 
echetical instruction  was  in  favor,  Luther's  Catechism 
was  in  vogue,  which  had  been  translated  into  English 
long  ago — of  special  merit  was  the  translation  of  C. 
F.  Schaeffer,  made  by  the  author  at  the  direction  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Synod — ;  but  also  new  catechisms 
were  produced.  Among  the  expositions  of  the  Luther- 
an Catechism,  that  published  in  1863  by  Mann  and 
Krotel  in  German  and  English  at  the  direction  of  the 
Ministerium  of  Pennsylvania  merits  special  attention;  it 
is  based  upon  the  explanation  of  Caspari.  In  the  "Augs- 
burg Sunday  School  Teacher"  a  manual  for  the  teach- 
er was  created ;  nor  were  the  requisite  juvenile  and  Sun- 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  207 

day  school  papers  lacking.  H.  J.  Schmidt  (then  pro- 
fessor at  the  college  and  Seminary  at  Gettysburg)  com- 
posed in  1842  a  "History  of  Education",  which,  con- 
tained in  its  second  part  "a  plan  of  culture  and  instruc- 
tion based  on  Christian  principles,  and  designed  to  aid 
in  the  right  education  of  youth,  physically,  intellectually, 
and  morally" — the  only  work  of  this  kind  so  far  pro- 
duced by  the  American  Lutheran  Church.  Nor  was 
it  supplanted  until  H.  Ziegler's  "Catechetics,  Histori- 
cal, Theoretical,  and  Practical",  appeared  in  1873.  In 
1852  we  first  come  upon  the  announcement  that  teachers' 
meetings  are  held  on  a  week-day  evening,  namely,  by 
B.  M.  Schmucker. 

We  call  special  attention  to  the  following  books  in  connec- 
tion with  the  catechetical  literature  of  this  period:  John  G. 
Morris,  "Catechumen's  and  Communicants'  Catechetical  Exer- 
cises on  Luther's  Catechism";  adapted  from  the  German,  Balti- 
more, 1832.— S.  W.  Harkey,  "Lutheran  Sunday  School  Ques- 
tions Book,  or  a  Help  to  the  Systematic  Study  of  Sacred  Scrip- 
tures. Compiled  from  the  German",  Frederick,  Md.,  1838. — 
John  G.  Morris,  "Popular  Exposition  of  the  Gospels  for  Fami- 
lies, Bible  Classes,  and  Sunday  Schools"  (2  vols.),  Baltimore, 
Md.,  1840.— Benjamin  Kurtz,  "The  Serial  Catechism,  or  Pro- 
gressive Instruction  for  Children,  adapted  to  their  growth  in 
grace  and  knowledge",  Baltimore.— The  same:  "Easy  Cate- 
chism for  Young  Children",  1843.— John  G.  Morris,  "Luther's 
Catechism,  Illustrated  by  Additional  Questions  and  Answers", 
1844.— C.  A.  Morris,  "An  Easy  Catechism  for  Young  Children". 
— C.  Phil.  Krauth,  "Lutheran  Sunday  School  Hymn  Book", 
1855.—  S.  A.  Seiss,  "Training  Little  ones  for  Christ",  Balti- 
more, 1853.— Clemens  Miller,  "Luther's  Catechism",  Baltimore, 
1859.— T.  T.  Titus,  "Sunday  School  Question  Book".— S.  S. 
Schmucker,  "Evangelical  Lutheran  Catechism,  designed  for 
Catechumens  and  the  Higher  Classes  in  Sabbath  Schools", 
Baltimore,  1859.— W.  I.  Mann  and  G.  F.  Krotel,  "Luther's  Small 
Catechism,  Explained  in  Questions  and  Answers  for  the  Use 
of  the  Church,  School,  and  Family",  1863.— M.  Sheeleigh,  "Out- 


208       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

lines  of  Old  Testament  History";  same  author,  "Outlines  of 
New  Testament  History",  about  1865. — E.  I.  Koons,  "Questions 
on  Luther's  Catechism",  1869. — G.  F.  Jager,  "Katechismus  der 
christlichen  Lehre  in  Fragen  und  Antworten",  Kutztown,  1833. 
— H.  W.  Scriba,  "Anfangsgrunde  des  Christentums ;  aus  dem 
Franzoesischen",  Chambersburg,  1834. — J.  G.  Schmauk,  "Erstes 
Buch  fuer  deutsche  Schulen",  Philadelphia,  1844.— F.  P.  Peixoto, 
"Leitfaden,  wonach  der  kleine  Katechismus  Luthers  erklaert 
wird",  Summytown,  Pa.,  1845.— S.  K.  Brobst,  "Fragebuechlein 
fuer  die  Anfangsgruende  der  Religion",  1846. — The  same  author, 
"Gebete  fuer  Sonntagsschulen",  1847. — The  same  author, 
"Fragen  und  Antworten  aus  dem  Neuen  Testament",  1849. — 
C.  A.  Morris,  "Liederbuechlein  fuer  Kinder,  gesammelt  und 
herausgegeben  von  den  Lehrern  der  deutschen  Sonntagsschule 
in  Yorktown",  1849. — F.  C.  Wyneken,  "Spruchbuch  zum  klei- 
nen Katechismus  Lutheri",  Baltimore,  1849. — S.  K.  Brobst,  "Ge-, 
sangbuch  fuer  die  Sonntagsschulen  der  Evangelisch  lutherischen 
und  deutsch-reformierten  Kirchen",  Allentown,  Pa.,  1863. — C. 
F.  Spring,  "Katechetische  Unterweisung  zur  Seligkeit",  New 
York,  1868. 

When,  in  1872,  the  lessons  of  the  International  Sun- 
day School  Association  began  to  appear,  they  were  in- 
troduced more  or  less  in  their  schools  by  the  English 
synods  of  the  East.  They  received  a  hearty  welcome 
especially  in  the  General  Synod,  where  they  were  ex- 
plained in  the  "Augsburg  Teacher"  and  the  church  pap- 
ers. Nor  was  the  General  Council  altogether  proof 
against  them.  Instruction  at  Sunday  school  was  sup- 
plemented more  or  less  by  instruction  in  the  Catechism. 
The  text  book  in  use  was  the  catechism  edited  by  Krotel 
and  Mann;  also  "Luther's  Small  Catechism,  with  Scrip- 
ture texts",  by  authority  of  the  General  Council  in  Ame- 
rica, Philadelphia,  1883 ;  or  the  reprint  by  Stohlmann  of 
Michael  Walther's  catechism  as  remodeled  by  Luehrs. 
The  English  translation  of  the  last  book  was  revised  by 
H.  E.  Jacobs,  but  also  in  its  German  form  it  enjoyed 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  209 

great  vogue.  Wischan  and  Spaeth's  "Mein  erstes,  zwei- 
tes, drittes  Sanntagsschulbuch";  a  Biblical  History  in 
the  German  tongue  issued  by  the  Pilger  Book  Store  of 
Reading;  E.  Greenwald's  Questions  on  the  Gospels  and 
Epistles  of  the  Church  Year,  Lancaster,  1873 — 1874; 
Ludwig's  catechism  with  passages,  already  mentioned 
and,  as  appendix,  the  "Plan  of  Salvation",  the  English 
(1873)  and  the  German  (revised  in  1897  or  1906)  "Sun- 
day School  Book  of  the  General  Council",  Wonneber- 
ger's  "Sonntagsschulharfe",  and  others  were  of  service 
to  many  congregations  and  pastors.  Especially  in  the 
General  Council  the  inadequacy  of  Sunday  school  in- 
struction based  upon  the  International  Uniform  Les- 
sons was  keenly  felt.  There  was  ground  for  such  mis- 
givings. In  connection  with  the  International  S.  S. 
Association  the  thought  readily  insinuates  itself  that 
the  Sunday  school  is  an  independent  institution  along 
with  the  family  and  the  Church ;  Baptism  does  not  come 
into  its  own  where  those  lessons  are  in  use;  but  little, 
if  any,  real  knowledge  of  sacred  history  is  imparted ; 
Law  and  Gospel  are  easily  confounded ;  the  central  facts 
are  not  brought  to  the  fore  with  sufficient  clearness; 
appreciation  for  the  special  instruction  of  catechumens 
is  suppressed  rather  than  aroused;  and  the  instruction 
of  those  confirmed,  wherever  those  lessons  enjoy  a 
monopoly,  does  not  take  place  in  organic  connection 
with  the  things  learned  during  the  period  of  catechu- 
menal  instruction.  Moreover,  the  Uniform  Lesson  Sys- 
tem does  not  take  sufficient  account  of  the  psychologi- 
cal and  pedagogical  facts  (see  above).  For  these  rea- 
sons it  was  a  necessary  enterprise  worthy  the  highest 
pr°"se,  that  the  General  Council,  in  the  face  of  severe 
w    )sition,   decided  in   1895   to  create  its   own  Sunday 


210       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

school  system,  which  was  to  rest  throughout  upon  a 
Lutheran  basis  and  adapted  to  the  stage  of  development 
of  those  to  be  taught.  In  the  person  of  Dr,  Theodore 
Schmauk,  the  new  system  found  a  capable  and  purpose- 
ful worker.  It  is  true  that  several  men  had  previously 
advocated  a  graded  system,  for  the  reasons  assigned  in 
the  preceding  sketch,  and  some  noteworthy  preliminary 
work  had  been  performed;  but  this  was  the  first  time 
that  a  Lutheran  Sunday  school  system  had  been  cre- 
ated, and  the  first  time  that  a  whole  ecclesiastical  body 
concurred  in  such  creation.  The  system  is  divided  into 
Primary,  Intermediate,  and  Senior  Departments.  The 
Primary  Department,  in  turn,  is  divided  into  Kinder- 
garden,  Children's  and  Junior  Department  (from  the 
third  to  the  ninth  year)  ;  and  Wonderland,  Sunshine, 
Pictureland  and  Sunrays  are  designed  as  teaching  in- 
strumentalities for  this  department  with  its  several 
grades.  "In  Mother's  Arms"  and  "At  Mother's  Knee" 
are  preliminary  to  the  whole,  in  that  they  address  them- 
selves to  the  mothers.  The  Intermediate  Department  is 
composed  of  seven  grades  (from  the  tenth  to  the  six- 
teenth year)  ;  teaching  aids  to  be  used  are  Bible  Story, 
Bible  Readings,  Bible  History,  Bible  Geography.  Bible 
Biography,  Bible  Teachings,  Bible  Literature.  Instruc- 
tion in  the  Catechism  with  confirmation  is  to  occur  be- 
tween "Bible  Teachings"  and  "Bible  Literature",  or,  ra- 
ther, run  parallel  with  these  grades.  The  second  part  of 
the  Intermediate  or  the  Senior  Department  thereupon, 
with  the  aid  of  the  "Commentary",  devotes  itself  to  the 
study  of  Scripture  proper.  This  system  has  found  a 
welcome  far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  General  Coun- 
cil. The  General  Synod  is  still  connected  with  the  In- 
ternational   S.    S.    Association,    using   its    Uniform,    or 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  211 

Graded  Lessons ;  but  no  later  than  1911  this  body  author- 
ized its  Sunday  school  Committee  to  join  itself  to  other 
English-speaking  bodies  for  the  purpose  of  creating  in 
co-operation  with  them  a  specific  Lutheran  Sunday 
school  literature.  In  the  East  there  is  used  for  instruc- 
tion in  the  Catechism,  in  addition  to  the  literature  al- 
ready mentioned,  the  catechism  of  the  author  of  this  text 
book  on  catechetics;  Loehe's  catechism,  translated  by 
Horn;  and  Trabert's  and  Stump's  catechisms.  On  the 
basis  of  Kaftan's  work  (ch.  19),  J.  W.  Horine,  in  his 
"Catechist's  Handbook"  (Philadelphia,  1909)  has  given 
the  catechist  a  valuable  aid  to  the  understanding  of  Lu- 
ther's Catechism. 

When,  in  the  third  and  fourth  decade  of  the  last 
century,  a  stream  of  German  and  Scandinavian  immi- 
grants poured  into  the  West,  the  inchoate  congrega- 
tions and  church  bodies  brought  with  them  from  the 
old  home  not  a  few  agencies  for  the  religious  instruction 
of  the  adolescent  youth;  but  it  became  necessary  to 
devise  some  altogether  new.  Instruction  in  Catechism 
and  "Christenlehre"  they  brought  with  them ;  the  parish 
school,  however,  was  a  cis-Atlantic  enterprise.  In  the 
home  country  there  was  indeed  the  State  school,  at- 
tendance upon  which  was  obligatory  upon  every  child; 
religious  instruction  belonged  to  the  regular  curriculum ; 
and,  at  that  time,  the  Church  was  still  in  a  condition  to 
exert  strong  influence  upon  its  attitude  and  manage- 
ment. But  the  school  was  a  State  school;  and  if  the 
Church  had  any  authority  at  all  in  connection  with  it, 
it  was  only  by  reason  of  being  a  State  Church.  Inas- 
much as,  in  the  United  States,  Church  and  State  are 
fortunately  separated  by  constitutional  enactment,  and 
a  religious  training  of  the  young  by  a  State  which  re- 


212       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

mains  aloof  from  religion  as  a  matter  of  principle,  is 
out  of  the  question ;  and  inasmuch  as  the  Church,  on  the 
other  hand,  could  not  dispense  with  it  for  the  sake  of 
its  own  existence;  finally,  inasmuch  as  education  should 
be  an  harmonious  unit,  and  no  one  but  the  Church  is 
able  to  penetrate  with  the  Spirit  of  Christ  and  properly 
present  the  sum  of  secular  knowledge,  there  arose  for 
these  new  congregations  and  church  bodies  the  necessity 
to  establish  independent  parish,  or  congregational, 
schools.  In  these  they  endeavored  to  gather  their 
adolescent  youth,  and  to  train  them  by  a  graded  instruc- 
tion in  religious  and  secular  branches  for  efficient  mem- 
bership in  Church  and  State.  It  was  principally  Loehe 
who  advocated  these  schools;  and  it  was  he  who  collect- 
ed funds,  a  teaching  force,  and  scholars  for  the  first 
Lutheran  Normal  School  in  America  (Saginaw  City, 
1852).  The  Synod  of  Iowa,  founded  by  Loehe's  pupils, 
has  never  quite  forgotten  the  task;  however,  the  pro- 
cess of  development  caused  Missouri  to  become  the 
chief  bearer  of  this  idea.  Its  care  for  the  parish 
school  is  and  remains  the  most  splendid  chapter  in  the 
history  of  that  synod.  In  Lindemann's  "Schulpraxis" 
the  principles  are  laid  down  according  to  which  its 
schools  are  managed.  In  his  "Schulblatt"  it  has  created 
an  organ  for  the  advocacy  of  its  pedagogic  endeavors 
which  has  survived  all  other  organs  of  similar  tendency. 
In  the  preparation  of  schoolbooks  and  other  lesson 
helps  it  has  usually  been  guided  by  sound  pedagogic 
principles.  It  is  gratifying  that  the  Missouri  Synod,  at 
an  early  stage  of  its  development,  not  only  realized  the 
necessity  of  cultivating  the  language  of  the  country  in 
its  schools,  but  even  of  founding  purely  English  parish 
schools.      In    1917    Missouri    had    in    its    two    Normal 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  213 

Schools  (River  Forest,  111.,  Seward,  Nebr.)  three  hun- 
dred and  nineteen  students.  Throughout  the  body  there 
are  2206  parish  schools  with  1136  male  teachers,  324 
female  teachers,  and  1173  pastors  teaching  school.  The 
pupils  number  95,706.  There  remain  to  be  mentioned 
the  Normal  School  at  Waverly,  Iowa  (Synod  of  Iowa), 
Woodville  Normal  (Synod  of  Ohio),  New  Ulm  (Wis- 
consin and  Minnesota  Synods).  The  Scandinavians  have 
a  normal  course  in  connection  with  several  of  their  in- 
stitutions. Where  unfavorable  conditions  render  the 
establishment  of  complete  parish  schools  impossible, 
faithful  congregations  call  into  being  institutions  ap- 
proximating to  parish  schools  in  point  of  character  and 
design  (ch.  31).  There  is,  e.  g.,  a  winter,  or  catechu- 
men, school,  frequently  paralleled  by  a  summer  school 
term  of  two  months ;  a  Saturday  school ;  and  a  Sunday 
school.  The  last  named  has  gradually  made  its  way  also 
in  the  West,  so  that,  at  present,  every  synodical  body 
has  a  special  Sunday  school  committee,  which  has  to 
make  provision  for  the  needed  Sunday  school  literature. 
After  years  of  purposeless  efforts  sound  principles  are 
gradually  beginning  to  find  recognition.  The  Sunday 
school  systems  of  the  Iowa  and  Missouri  Synods  deserve 
specific  description. 

One  of  the  factors  operating  in  them  is  the  catechet- 
ical literature  devised  by  the  western  synods.  Ste- 
phan and  Walther  introduced  from  Saxony  the  "Dres- 
den Cross  Catechism"  (composed  in  1688  by  the  minis- 
terium  of  the  Cross  Church  in  Dresden).  This  was 
later  generally  replaced  in  the  sphere  of  the  body  found- 
ed by  these  men  by  the  large  and  small  Catechism  of 
C.  Dietrich  (First  edition,  1613).  The  pupils  of  Loehe, 
in  the  Iowa  Synod  particularly,  disseminated  his  cate- 


214       The  Historical  Developmnet  of  Religious  Instruction 

chism  (first  edition,  1845),  which  had  been  composed 
with  a  special  view  to  the  conditions  among  the  Luther- 
ans in  America.  Also  the  Swedes,  Danes,  and  Norwe- 
gians, made  use  of  the  catechisms  of  their  respective 
homelands,  as  of  that  of  Pantoppidan.  At  present  al- 
most every  synod  has  its  own  synodical  catechism,  al- 
though not  a  few  brought  from  Germany  or  Scandi- 
navia are  still  in  use.  Almost  invariably  they  are  bi- 
lingual. The  catechism  of  the  Missouri  Synod  has  been 
edited  by  Schwan ;  that  of  the  Wisconsin  Synod  was 
based  upon  the  Dresden  Cross  Catechism,  but  has  been 
replaced  by  one  edited  by  Gausewitz ;  that  of  Ohio  is 
based  upon  Dietrich's,  but  is  about  to  be  revised.  Since 
1904  also  the  Iowa  Synod  has  its  own  catechism — that 
edited  by  the  author  of  this  textbook  on  catechetics, 
translated  into  English  by  C.  G.  Prottengeier.  Em- 
bodying the  expository  principles  of  Loehe  (1845)  and 
Tetelbach  (1568),  it  is  distinguished  from  others  in 
point  of  content  in  that  all  supplementary  material,  such 
as  taken  from  dogmatics  and  sacred  history,  has  been 
carefully  eliminated,  a  feature  with  which  another 
stands  correlated — a  remorseless  restriction  to  subjects 
essential  to  a  Christian  life  and  blessed  end ;  in  point 
of  form,  by  the  adoption  of  the  thetic  presentation.  Since 
1917  it  is  to  be  found,  in  both  German  and  English,  also 
in  abbreviated  size  and  in  the  form  of  questions  and 
answers.  The  Augustana  Synod  has  likewise  its  own 
explanation;  the  Norwegian  Synod  uses  largely  Diet- 
rich's Catechism ;  while  the  United  Norwegian  Church 
employs  the  explanation  by  Sverdrup. 

To  the  religious  care  of  the  confirmed  youth  besides 
the  family  and  congregational  worship  are  devoted  the 
Bible  Classes  of  Sunday  schools,  the  "Christenlehre"  (a 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  215 

catechetical  Sunday  service),  and  the  devotional  meet- 
ings and  educational  courses  of  the  Young  People's  So- 
cieties. Among  the  textbooks  on  Bible  History  those 
of  Reading  (Pilger  Book  Store,  Reading,  Pa.),  the  old 
Huebner  Bible  History  (1714),  and  those  issued  by 
the  Missouri  Synod  enjoy  a  large  circulation.  Among 
those  in  English,  that  published  by  the  Augustana  Sy- 
nod deserves  special  mention;  the  latest,  with  several 
novel  features,  is  by  the  author  of  this  textbook.  In 
his  book  "How  I  tell  the  Bible  Stories  to  my  Children", 
the  latter  intends  to  furnish  a  contribution  to  the  art 
of  story-telling  as  applied  to  Biblical  History.  Among 
aids  for  the  catechist,  there  are  helps  for  the  instruction 
in  Biblical  History  by  Wegener,  Simon  (German),  and 
Rupprecht  (English)  ;  by  Stellhorn  (German),  and 
Schuh  (English)  for  instruction  in  the  Catechism;  also 
the  writings  of  Schaller  and  Reu  on  instruction  in  the 
Bible  are  of  note  (both  English).  Professor  Dau  has 
published  material  relative  to  instruction  in  the  Cate- 
chism in  the  Missourian  Quarterly.  Among  theoretical 
dissertations  there  are  to  be  mentioned  as  of  note,  in  ad- 
dition to  Lindemann's  "Schulpraxis" — already  mention- 
ed, Grossmann's  "Parish  School"  (German),  Herzer's 
(German),  and  Gerberding's  (English)  Catechetics.  The 
book  of  the  Methodist  Herzler  contains  some  good  sec- 
tions. A  sourcebook  by  the  author  in  seven  volumes  is 
evidence  that  the  Lutheran  Church  of  America  has  taken 
part  in  historic  research  work  in  the  field  of  catechetics. 
The  efforts  to  introduce  the  moral  and  religious  ele- 
ment into  the  public  schools  cannot  and  shall  not  re- 
ceive notice  here.  The  publications  of  the  Association 
of  Religious  Education  (headquarters  in  Chicago)  con- 
tain considerable  material  in  regard  to  this  subject,  as 


216       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

in  regard  to  religious  training  of  our  people  in  general. 
However,  the  effort  to  complement  public  school  educa- 
tion by  religious  day  schools,  we  cannot  thus  pass  over. 
What  Charles  De  Garmo  says  in  his  "Principles  of  Re- 
ligious Education"  (p.  63)  :  "From  the  standpoint  of 
the  development  of  religious  intelligence  the  American 
(public  school  system)  must  be  pronounced  the  most 
fragmentary,  partial,  inefficient,  haphazard  system  in 
the  world",  is  more  and  more  recognized  as  true;  like- 
wise, that  the  work  of  the  Sunday  school  cannot  be 
recognized  as  an  adequate  complement.  G.  Boville,  of 
New  York  City,  has  briefly  put  the  matter  as  follows : 
"The  Church  has  enrolled  about  15,000,000  children  of 
school  age  in  Sunday  schools,  for  whom  are  provided 
fifty-two  half  hours  of  instruction;  there  are  10,000,000 
more  children  of  school  age  not  enrolled  in  any  Sun- 
day school".  In  order  to  give  the  Sunday  school  pupils 
more  religious  instruction,  and  the  others  at  least  a 
little,  this  man  gathers  during  the  summer  vacation 
the  children  of  an  East  side  precinct  in  New  York  City 
every  day  for  six  weeks  in  such  churches  as  were  opened 
to  him,  and  gets  college  students  to  supervise  and  in- 
struct them,  and  thus  "to  bring  together  idle  children, 
idle  churches,  and  idle  students  of  the  colleges".  In- 
struction is,  in  part,  of  a  religious  character — "on  broad 
non-sectarian  lines".  In  view  of  the  success  of  Boville 
in  New  York,  the  National  Daily  Bible  School  Associa- 
tion was  organized,  in  order  to  arouse  interest  in  this 
matter  also  at  other  places.  In  1914,  two  hundred  and 
ninety-seven  such  schools  were  conducted  in  sixty-seven 
cities,  with  1940  teachers  and  64,535  children.  Already 
before  this  another  method  had  been  tried  in  a  smali 
way.    Since  1898  the  pastor  of  a  Congregational  Church 


The  Catechetical  Labors  in  America  217 

in  Elk  Mound,  Wis.,  H.  R.  Vaughn,  in  conjunction  with 
the  teacher-training  institute  of  that  place,  gathered 
the  children  for  two  weeks  in  the  summer  every  day  in 
the  country  and  the  smaller  towns,  in  order  to  give  them, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  regular  teachers  in  the  public 
schools  and  in  classes  corresponding  to  those  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  instruction  in  Biblical  History,  and,  by  narra- 
tives from  the  history  of  missions  and  the  Church,  to 
arouse  in  them  enthusiasm  for  everything  noble  and 
good.  Such  schools,  for  the  general  dissemination  of 
which  there  has  been  no  propaganda,  are  conducted  in  a 
dozen  villages  and  smaller  towns  of  Wisconsin,  but  also 
in  some  larger  cities,  for  instance,  in  Eau  Claire,  Madi- 
son, Beaver  Dam,  and  Rockford,  111.  W.  J.  Mutch,  Pro- 
fessor of  Education  in  Ripon  College,  is  at  present  the 
soul  of  the  movement.  In  the  summer  of  1918  the 
Lutheran  churches  of  Madison,  Wis.,  conducted  for 
two  weeks  a  Bible  school,  which  in  some  respects  con- 
formed to  the  movement  fathered  by  the  Rev.  H.  R. 
Vaughn,  but  was  governed  by  Lutheran  principles.  A 
kindred  plan  is  prosecuted  in  Colorado — the  so-called 
"Greeley  Plan"  of  Bible  study.  It  is  a  co-operation  be- 
tween the  State  Teachers  College  of  Colorado  at  Gree- 
ley and  the  churches,  whereby  courses  in  religion  given 
in  the  churches  and  approved  by  the  college  are  accept- 
ed for  credit.  In  1907  the  Lutheran  pastor  G.  A.  Wen- 
ner,  as  chairman  of  a  committes  appointed  by  the  "Fed- 
eral Council  of  Churches  of  Christ  in  America"  pro- 
posed a  still  other  plan.  He  desired  that  the  legislature 
"should  authorize  all  children  in  the  public  schools  to 
attend,  at  the  option  of  their  parents,  on  Wednesday 
afternoons,  either  the  public  schools  or  schools  of  reli- 
gion in  their  own  churches".    The  salient  point  here  is 


218       The  Historical  Development  of  Religious  Instruction 

weekly  confessional  instruction.  While  considerable 
progress  was  thus  signalized,  the  instruction  is  still 
inadequate. — A  confessional  religious  instruction  during 
the  week  is  made  possible  also  by  the  "Gary  Plan", 
which  W.  E.  Wirt,  superintendent  of  the  public  schools 
of  Gary,  Ind.,  began  to  carry  out  in  1913.  His  desire 
was  to  care  well  for  the  child  and  not  merely  give  him 
formal  instruction.  He  wanted  more  of  the  child's  time, 
so  that  the  child  might  live  most  of  his  waking  hours 
under  the  supervision  of  the  school.  On  this  theory  the 
Gary  schools  were  conducted  from  8:  15  a.  m.  to  4:  30 
p.  m.  for  six  days  in  the  week,  and  the  school  undertook 
to  provide  for  the  child's  play,  as  well  as  his  welfare  in 
other  lines.  During  these  additional  hours,  Mr.  Wirt 
thought  the  children  should  be  sent  in  small  parties  to 
receive  the  benefit  of  any  welfare  agency,  and  among 
these  stood  the  Church.  Mr.  Wirt  informed  the  various 
churches  in  Gary  that  he  stood  ready  to  send  to  them 
for  week-day  instruction  any  and  every  child  whose 
parent  should  sign  a  card  desiring  to  have  it  so  sent, 
and  that  the  school  would  allot  the  church  from  one 
up  to  six  hours  per  week  of  each  child's  time,  according 
as  the  Church  felt  capable  of  using  such  time.  This 
hour  included  the  going  from  and  returning  to  school. 
There  was  no  attempt  to  control  or  supervise  the  use 
which  the  Church  made  of  this  time,  and  no  credits  were 
given  for  it.  Children  not  so  sent  remained  in  the  school 
and  were  occupied  in  some  manner  not  counting  in  their 
formal  studies.  The  parent  then,  in  signing  the  church 
card,  chose  for  his  child  an  elective  course  in  religious 
subjects,  but  in  taking  this  elective  the  child  lost  noth- 
ing in  his  formal  studies.  It  remains  to  be  seen  how  this 
plan  will  work  when  tested  by  time,  and  whether  other 


The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion  219 

cities  are  willing  to  introduce  it.  Even  though  the 
Church  should  be  accorded  sufficient  time  for  instruc- 
tion, one  fault  would  remain  nevertheless :  instruction 
in  the  secular  branches  would  continue  untouched  by 
the  Spirit  of  Christ ;  and  two  views  of  the  world,  in 
conflict  with  each  other,  would,  during  these  years  of 
development,  compete  for  mastery  in  the  soul  of  the 
child    without  the  possibility  of  an  adjustment. 


II.     The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction: 
the  Pupil  and  His  Inner  Life 

J.  F.  Herbart,  Lehrbuch  der  Psychologie,  1816.*)— V.  Laza- 
rus, Das  Leben  d.  Seele  in  Monographien  ueber  s.  Erschei- 
nungen u.  Gesetze  (1856),  31883  —  L.  Strueonpell,  Grundriss  d. 
Psychologie,  1884. — W.  F.  Volkmann,  Lehrbuch  d.  Psychologie 
(1876),  41894.— P.  Natorp,  Einleitung  in  die  Psychologie,  1888. — 
J.  Rehmke,  Lehrbuch  d.  allgem.  Psychologie  (1884),  21905.— H. 
Spencer,  Principles  of  Psychology,  1870.— G.  J.  Romanes,  Mental 
evolution  in  animal,  1883. — G.  J.  Romanes,  Mental  evolution  in 
man,  1888.— Theod.  Ribot,  L'heredite  psychologique  (1873),  61902 
(German:  Die  Erblichkeit,  1879);  Les  maladies  de  la  memoire 
(1881),  41898  (German:  Das  Gedaechtnis  u.  s.  Stoerungen, 
1882).— W.  James,  The  Principles  of  Psychology,  2  vols,  1890; 
Psychology,  shorter  course,  1892.— H.  Muensterberg,  Psychology 
and  Life,  1899;  Grundlinien  der  Psychologie,  1900.— E.  Mach, 
Die  Analyse  d.  Empfindungen  u.  d.  Verhaeltnis  d.  Physischen 
zum  Psychischen,  21900. — Th.  Ziehen,  Leitfaden  d.  physiologi- 
schen Psychologie,  81908. — F.  Jodl,  Lehrbuch  d.  Psychologic 
3 1909. — W.  Wundt,  Vorlesungen  ueber  die  Menschen-  und  Tier- 
seele (1863),  *1906;  English  by  J.  E.  Creighton  and  E.  B. 
Titchener,  1894;  Grundzuege  d.  physiologischen  Psychologie 
(1873),  1908;  Grundriss  d.  Psychologie  (1896)  "1911.— O.  Kuelpe, 
Grundriss  d.  Psychologie,  1893;  English  by  Titchener,  1895. — 
N.  Ach,  Die  Willenstaetigkeit  u.  d.  Denken,   1905.— A.  Messer, 


*)     Arranged  according  to  schools. 


220  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

Empfinden  u.  Denken,  1908. — E.  Meumann,  Vorlesungen  z.  Ein- 
fuehrung  i.  d.  experimentelle  Paedagogik  (1907),  21911;  Intel- 
ligenz u.  Wille,  1908. — H.  Ebbinghaus,  Grundzuege  d.  Psycholo- 
gie (1897  ff.),  31911;  English  by  M.  Meyer;  Abriss  d.  Psycholo- 
gie, 31910. — E.  B.  Titchener,  Textbook  of  Psychology,  1910.  1912. 
— Psychology  of  Feeling  and  Attention,  1909;  A  Beginners' 
Psychology,  1915. — James  M.  Baldwin,  Elements  of  Psychology, 
1893;  Development  and  Evolution,  1902.— K.  O.  Beetz,  Einfüh- 
rung i.  d.  moderne  Psychologie,  1907  f. — Th.  Elsenhans,  Lehr- 
buch d.  Psychologie,  1912.— J.  M.  Baldwin,  Handbook  of  Psy- 
chology, 1889.  1891.— Zeitschrift  f.  Psychologie.— The  American 
Journal  of  Psychology. — The  Psychological  Review. — J.  F.  Her- 
bart,  Allgem.  Paedagogik  a.  d.  Zweck  der  Erziehung  abgeleitet, 
1806;  Umriss  paedag.  Vorlesungen,  1835;  English  by  H.  M. 
and  E.  Felkin,  1895. — Compare  John  Adams,  Herbartian  Psy- 
chology applied  to  education. — T,  Ziller,  Grundlegung  z.  Lehre 
v.  erziehenden  Unterricht,  1865. — O.  Willmann,  Didaktik  als 
Bildungslehre,  21894  f. — Fr.  Froebel,  The  education  of  man, 
translated  by  Hailmann,  1887. — M.  Jahn,  Psychologie  als  Grund- 
wissenschaft d.  Paedagogik  (1895),  «1911. — P.  Barth,  Die  Ele- 
mente d.  Erziehungs  und  Unterrichtslehre  auf  Grund  d.  Psycho- 
logie d.  Gegenwart  (1906),  21908. — W.  Lay,  Experimentelle  Di- 
daktik, 31910. — G.  Schumann  and  G.  Voigt,  Lehrbuch  d.  Paeda- 
gogik, II:  Psychologie,  111901. — Ostermann  and  Wegener, 
Lehrbuch  d.  Paedagogik,  I :  Psychologie,  401910. — K.  Heilmann, 
Handbuch  d.  Paedagogik,  I :  Psychologie  u.  Logik,  121908. — L. 
Hohmann,  Paedagogische  Psychologie,  1906. — L.  Habrich  (Ro- 
man Catholic),  Paedag.  Psychologie,  41911. — K.  Lange,  Ueber 
Apperzeption,  e.  psychologisch-paedagogische  Monographie, 
121912;  English  by  the  Herbart  club  and  ed.  by  Ch.  de  Garmo, 
1894. — James  Sully,  Outlines  of  psychology,  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  theory  of  education,  1884. — P.  Radestock,  Habit  and 
its  importance  in  education,  English  by  Caspari,  1887. — D.  Kay, 
Memory;  what  it  is  and  how  to  improve  it,  1889. — Th.  Ribot, 
Psychology  of  attention,  1890. — Jos.  Baldwin,  Psychology  ap- 
plied to  the  art  of  teaching,  1892. — G.  Compayre,  Psychology 
applied  to  education,  1894. — W.  T.  Harris,  Psychologic  founda- 
tions of  education,  1897. — Froebel's  educational  laws  for  all 
teachers,  1897. — W.  James,  Talks  to  teachers  on  psychology, 
1898. — H.    H.    Home,    Psychological    principles    of   education. — 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  221 

E.  D.  Starbuck,  Psychology  of  religion,  1899. — W.  James,  The 
varieties  of  religious  experience,  1902. — G.  A.  Coe,  The  psy- 
chology of  religion,  1916.  » 

21.    The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  in  its  General  Aspect. 

The  subject  of  religious  instruction  by  the  Church 
is  the  child  or  the  pupil,  whose  instruction  and  education 
becomes  her  object.  He  must  be  accurately  understood, 
and  the  peculiarities  of  his  life  must  remain  under  ob- 
servation if  instruction  and  education  are  to  be  a  suc- 
cess. 

The  pupil  is  constituted  of  body  and  soul — the  for- 
mer his  material,  the  latter  his  psychical,  constituent. 
Materialism  denies  the  independence  of  the  soul,  ex- 
plaining psychic  phenomena  as  mere  physical,  or  cere- 
bral, products.  The  facts  of  experience,  however,  as, 
for  instance,  the  continuity  of  self-consciousness  in  face 
of  the  incessant  organic  changes,  also  in  the  brain;  the 
unity  of  consciousness ;  the  impossibility  for  a  movement 
of  material  atoms  to  produce  anything  but  another  phy- 
sical movement;  the  strife  between  soul  and  body  and 
the  rule  of  the  latter  by  the  soul, — facts  such  as  these, 
and  Scripture  as  well,  require  as  postulate  behind  the 
motions  of  the  brain  an  invisible  and  independent  quan- 
tity, essentially  different  not  from  the  brain  alone  but 
from  all  matter  whatever,  and  permeating  and  deter- 
mining the  whole  body.  This  is  the  being  which  we 
call  soul.  Accordingly  two  worlds  essentially  different 
from  each  other  are  merged  in  the  pupil  in  wondrous 
union. 

Between  the  body  and  the  soul  (the  physical  and 
the  psychical)  there  exists  a  vital  reciprocity.  Grief 
and  mental  anguish  act  upon  the  lacrymal  glands ; 
wrath,  upon  the  liver;  fear,  upon  the  intestines;  terror 


222  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

and  shame  produce  a  pallor  or  a  flush  upon  the  cheeks : 
while,  conversely,  we  are  mentally  refreshed  by  a  so- 
journ out-doors ;  unconsciousness  is  caused  by  lack  of 
blood  in  the  brain;  and,  defects  in  the  sense-organs  in- 
hibit the  orientation  of  the  soul  to  the  world  without. 
Such  reciprocity  between  soul  and  body  is  effected  by 
the  nerves.  When  a  reaction  of  the  soul  takes  place  in 
consequence  of  a  stimulus  from  without,  in  that  an 
object  of  the  external  world  acts  upon  it  through  the 
organs  of  sense,  or  such  action  proceeds  from  the  body 
itself  or  any  of  its  members,  such  process,  in  either  case, 
is  brought  about  through  the  centripetal  (centrum  pe- 
tere),  or  sensory,  nerves;  while  the  soul  acts  upon  the 
body  through  the  centrifugal  (centrum  fugere),  or 
motor,  nerves.  With  lightning  rapidity  the  stimulus 
produced  at  the  peripheral  end  of  the  sensory  nerves  is 
transmitted  to  the  brain,  whence  it  meets  the  soul,  where- 
upon the  will,  by  the  motor  nerves,  is  quickly  prompted 
to  action.  By  a  severance  of  the  respective  nerves  both 
sensation  and  motion  are  inhibited,  while  congenital 
weakness  or  sickness  after  birth  has  the  effect  of  re- 
ducing their  strength  or,  at  least,  disturbing  the  regu- 
larity of  their  operation,  as  is  seen  in  the  case  of  imbe- 
cility and  neurasthenia. 

Inasmuch  as  the  health  and  regularity  of  such  re- 
ciprocal processes  are  of  transcendent  importance,  and 
the  pupil  lacking  them  requires  special  treatment,  the 
teacher  of  religion  should  make  also  the  body  of  his 
pupil  an  object  of  attention,  seeing  to  it  that  he  receives 
good  air,  adequate  food,  proper  clothing,  and,  in  reg*ular 
alternation,  a  due  amount  of  rest  and  exercise,  a  method 
whereby  good  health  is  maintained.  The  organs  of 
sense — those  gates  of  the  soul,  especially  eye  and  ear, 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  223 

should  be  guarded  against  everything  that  might  tend 
to  weakness.  The  nervous  state  of  the  pupils  will  be  a 
further  object  of  solicitude  for  the  teacher  of  religion. 
He  will  support  the  weakness  of  the  feeble-minded,  who 
are  quite  capable  of  receiving  external  impressions  but 
cannot  concentrate  their  attention  upon  any  one  object 
for  any  length  of  time,  thus  being  shut  out  from  any  but 
the  most  meager  intellectual  gains.  He  will  have  pa- 
tience with  neurotic  or  neurasthenic  pupils,  never  forc- 
ing upon  them  mental  over-exertion,  safeguarding  them 
against  fatigue,  arranging  for  frequent  changes  in  the 
nature  of  their  work,  and  applying  the  well-known  and 
sufficiently  attested  remedies  called  for  by  their  condi- 
tion. But,  above  all,  he  should  know  the  inner  life  of 
the  pupil,  so  that  its  peculiarities  may  guide  him  in 
the  effort  to  reach  his  inmost  heart,  to  take  hold  of  his 
whole  personality,  and  to  bring  about  permanent  im- 
pressions. , 

The  soul  is  an  indivisible  simple  essence;  but  this 
unity  manifests  itself  in  three  different  ways :  the  sim- 
ple soul  knows,  or  cognizes ;  it  feels ;  and  it  wills.  Ac- 
cordingly we  speak  of  the  intellect,  the  emotions,  and 
the  will  of  the  soul,  of  which  the  one  conditions  the 
other,  and  all  three  of  which  must  be  stimulated  if  the 
whole  personality  is  to  be  affected. 

1.    The  Intellect. 

The  intellect  is  reflected  in  three  several  stages, 
sensation,  concept,  and  thinking.  In  the  first  main 
stage  we  make  the  additional  distinction  of  sensation, 
perception,  and  intuition. 

a.  Sensation  becomes  possible  when  a  stimulus  pro- 
ceeds from  some  external  object,  is  received  by  the 
nerves,  and  is  conducted  to  the  brain.     For  instance, 


224  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

when  the  light  waves  emanating  from  the  sun  impinge 
upon  the  eye,  an  impression  is  made  by  the  light  upon 
the  optic  nerves  terminating  there,  which  is  conveyed 
by  them,  as  by  electric  wires,  to  the  brain.  The  result 
is  that  a  centralized  excitation  is  effected  in  the  brain, 
whereupon  the  soul,  which  must  be  carefully  distin- 
guished from  the  brain,  its  organ,  in  a  manner  unknown 
to  us  is  put  in  motion.  In  other  words,  it  has  a  sensa- 
tion. Accordingly,  in  producing  a  sensation  three  pro- 
cesses merge  into  one :  a  physical  one,  in  that  the  ex- 
ternal object  confronts  the  eye  and  acts  upon  it;  a  phy- 
siological one,  in  that  the  stimulus  is  conducted  by 
nerves  to  the  brain,  where  it  makes  an  impression;  and 
a  psychic  one,  in  that  the  soul  receives  a  sensation.  In- 
stead of  from  an  external  object,  the  action  may  pro- 
ceed from  some  state  of  the  body;  for  instance,  hunger, 
fatigue,  etc.  The  sensations  thus  arising  are  called  bod- 
ily sensations,  in  distinction  from  sense-sensations, 
which  are  brought  about  by  the  organs  of  sense.  In 
both  wre  have  an  exhibition  of  the  first  and  simplest 
activity  of  the  intellect.  Whatever  else  may  have  taken 
place  in  the  soul,  the  beginning  of  consciousness  does 
not  take  place  until  there  is  a  sensation.  Among  the 
sensory  impressions  are  numbered,  in  conformity  to 
the  several  organs  of  sense,  sight,  or  light,  sensations ; 
auditory,  or  sound,  sensations,  which  two  are  the  main 
factors  in  the  enrichment  of  mental  life;  and  the  sensa- 
tions brought  about  by  the  senses  of  taste,  touch,  and 
smell,  also  called  membranous,  or  peripheral,  sensa- 
tions brought  about  by  the  senses  of  taste,  smell,  and 
touch.  The  three  last-named,  similar  to  the  body  sen- 
sations, serve  largely  the  interests  of  the  animal  life. 
All   sensations    are   ,   in   turn,    differentiated   in   regard 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  225 

I 

to  quality,  to  indicate  the  varying  character  of  their  con- 
tent; in  regard  to  strength,  to  indicate  the  various  de- 
grees of  intensity  (at  times  the  threshold  of  stimulus 
is  barely  reached,  as  in  the  whisper;  while  on  other  oc- 
casions the  excitation  mounts  to  the  summit  of  stim- 
ulus, as  in  the  cry)  ;  lastly  in  regard  to  tone,  in  that  they 
engender  the  concomitant  phenomena  of  pleasure  and 
displeasure. 

When  the  soul  does  not  only  feel  external  stimula- 
tion but  isolates  one  sensation  from  others  occurring  at 
the  same  time ;  when  it  traces  it  back  outwardly  and 
ascertains  the  object  causing  it,  no  matter  whether  it 
is  in  the  body  itself  or  outside  of  the  same — that  is,  when 
the  soul  projects  the  sensation  outwardly,  there  is  per- 
ception: the  object  from  which  the  stimulus  proceeded 
has  been  perceived.  Therewith  the  beginning  has  been 
made  of  a  further  development  of  mental  life;  for, 
presently,  the  soul  can  visualize  the  object  in  question, 
and  put  to  work  every  one  of  the  senses  to  explore  it 
in  whole  and  in  part.  For  instance,  the  sense  of  sight, 
of  smell,  of  touch  are  brought  to  bear  upon  the  rose, 
and  in  this  way  a  clear  and  complete  image  of  the  ob- 
ject in  question  is  produced.  The  image  thus  gaining 
shape  in  the  soul  is  called  intuition.  The  more  com- 
pletely 'the  several  characteristics  of  an  image  have  been 
visualized  the  more  distinct  it  becomes  in  the  soul ;  the 
degree  of  certainty  with  which  it  is  distinguished  from 
others  determines  the  degree  of  clearness  with  which 
the  image  has  been  formed.  A  successful  further  de- 
velopment of  the  mental  life,  reliable  knowledge,  and  a 
correct  judgment  are  impossible,  save  upon  the  basis 
of  distinct  and  clear  intuition.  For  this  reason  it  is  of 
infinite    importance    that    the    religious    teacher    should 


226  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

lead  the  pupil  to  a  distinct  and  clear  intuition  of  things 
religious.  Following  Luther's,  Ratichius',  Comenius', 
and  Pestalozzis  example,  he  will  apply  the  principle  of 
miniature  painting,  and  at  the  same  time  point  out,  with 
special  care,  fundamental  features  of  the  religious  life 
by  marking  the  characteristic  qualities  of  its  typical 
representatives.  This  method  will  lead  to  the  production 
in  the  pupil's  soul  of  clearly  defined  images  of  faith, 
love,  fidelity,  etc : ;  and  as  soon  as  the  teacher  ascertains 
during  the  progress  of  instruction  that  the  traces  of  such 
image  tend  to  indistinctness  or,  even,  effacement,  nothing 
being  left  but  lifeless  concepts  of  religious  realities,  he 
will  at  once  return  to  the  fundamental  work  of  pro- 
ducing vivid  intuitions. 

b.  A  higher  stage  of  mental  life  is  reached  through 
what  is  called  concept.*)  Intuition  postulates  the  fac- 
ing by  the  soul  of  some  object  of  the  external  world, 
which  it  is  able  to  perceive  through  the  organs  of  sense. 
Were  there  no  other  faculty  of  the  soul,  the  latter  would 


*)  The  terms  "concept"  and  "conception"  are  often  used 
interchangeably.  Here,  however,  we  distinguish  them  from 
each  other.  We  use  the  term  "concept"  in  its  original  sense : 
that  which  by  outward  means  is  brought  into  existence  inside 
of  a  body;  that  which  remains  in  the  inside  when  the  outside 
factor  is  removed;  the  image  remaining  in  the  soul  when  the 
object  producing  it  is  taken  away.  The  faculty  of  the  soul  to 
form  and  retain  such  images  in  the  mind  is  "imagination", 
understood  in  its  original  sense  :  the  faculty  whereby  the  "soul 
beholdeth  the  likeness  of  things  that  be  absent".  By  "concep- 
tion", however,  we  mean  the  first  stage  of  the  thinking  faculty 
of  the  soul,  that  is,  that  constructive  act  of  the  soul  whereby 
two  or  more  attributes  are  grasped  into  a  unity  of  thought,  and 
also  the  product  of  such  act  (p.  238).  So  "conception",  as  we 
use  it  here,  is  not  possible  without  logical  thinking,  while  "con- 
cept" precedes  all  logical  thinking. 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  227 

resemble  a  mirror  reflecting  an  image  only  as  long  as 
it  is  confronted  by  the  external  object:  there  would  be 
no  remembrance  of  former  objects  of  perception  and 
intuition.  The  great  feature  of  the  soul  is  its  faculty  to 
retain  the  image  of  the  object  in  question,  even  though 
the  latter  have  been  taken  away.  The  soul  places  the 
object  inwardly  in  front  of  itself,  as  it  were,  thus  pro- 
ducing what  is  called  a  concept.  In  view  of 
the  absence  of  the  object  from  which  the  stimulus 
proceeded,  the  image  remaining  in  the  soul,  indeed,  lacks 
the  vividness  incidental  to  sensation  (the  concept  of 
tooth-ache  does  not  cause  pain)  ;  but  the  concept  is 
as  complete  or  deficient,  as  distinct  or  indistinct,  as 
clear  or  confused  as  the  preceding  intuition, — another 
fact  suggestive  of  the  duty  of  the  religious  teacher  to 
provide  clear,  distinct,  and  complete  intuitions.  It  is 
only  through  the  faculty  of  forming  concepts  that  a  co- 
herent mental  life  becomes  possible  for  man,  the  grasp- 
ing of  not  merely  the  fleeting  moment,  but  also  of  past 
and  future-:— a  compact  continuity,  a  history  of  his 
life.  An  inner  world  rises,  and  takes  form,  which  con- 
stitutes the  most  characteristic  factor  of  the  inner  life. 
A  coherent  unity  of  the  mental  life,  indeed,  would  be 
impossible  even  now  were  the  soul  not  capable  of  put- 
ting the  images  retained  by  it  in  motion,  to  associate 
them,  and  to  recall  such  as  have  become  obscure.  But 
this  faculty,  too,  is  possessed  by  the  soul ;  and  we  speak, 
accordingly,  of  an  association  and  reproduction  of  con- 
cepts. A  concept  just  formed  lives  in  the  soul  clear 
and  strong ;  but  when,  amid  the  perpetual  changes  of  the 
outer  world,  new  concepts  continue  to  arise,  those  pre- 
viously formed  do  not  retain  their  original  clearness 
and  strength  ;  they  wane  and  pale  as  new  ones  enter ;  or, 


-28  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

to  use  a  figure,  they  are  crowded  back  and  sink  be- 
low the  threshold  of  consciousness,  consciousness  being 
the  sum  total  of  clear  and  strong  concepts.  In  this  way 
the  world  of  concepts  is  kept  in  constant  motion;  and 
that  of  which  the  soul  is  conscious  is  kept  separate  from 
that  of  which  it  is  unconscious.  For  to  retain  all  con- 
cepts ever  formed  with  the  same  degree  of  clearness 
and  strength;  i.  e.,  to  remain  conscious  of  them,  is  a 
power  that  the  soul  does  not  possess.  Such  power 
would  destroy  its  primal  essence.  Says  Kant :  "Our 
soul  resembles  a  full  treasure  vault  in  which  a  dim  lamp 
is  burning,  whose  glow  is  insufficient  to  cast  its  light 
upon  more  than  a  limited  number  of  objects".  This 
"narrowness  of  consciousness"  is  another  characteristic 
mark  of  the  life  of  the  human  soul.  In  a  state  of  sleep 
or  swoon  every  trace  of  consciousness  disappears  alto- 
gether. Yet,  the  soul  does  not  lose  even  one  of  the  con- 
cepts ever  formed  in  it;  they  persist  in  it,  or,  rather,  the 
soul  retains  them,  even  below  the  threshold  of  conscious- 
ness. Nor  does  the  soul  permit  new  concepts  to  remain 
unconnected  with  those  that  have  already  become  in- 
tegral parts  of  its  life  and  consciousness.  It  strives  to 
link,  or  associate,  the  new  ones  with  those  previously 
formed.  If  the  new  concept  agrees  with  the  old  in 
content,  both  fuse  into  one,  which  thus  gains  greater 
clearness.  If  the  new  concept  is  opposed  to  the  old  one, 
there  is  indeed  a  fusion,  but  only  by  the  way  of  assimi- 
lation, whereby  opposite  elements  are  neutralized.  If, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  new  concept  is  disparate,  that  is, 
unlike  and  dissimilar,  the  soul  is,  indeed,  unable  to  fuse 
it  with  the  old  one ;  it  must  keep  them  separate,  while 
it  does  fuse  the  simple  concepts  into  a  single  total ;  as, 
for   instance,    round,    yellow,    and    fragrance    are    fused 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  229 

into  the  one  total  concept  rose.  Or,  the  new  concept 
is  co-ordinated  with  previous  ones  that  are  already  a 
part  of  consciousness,  at  least  in  regard  to  space  or  time; 
that  is,  mechanically  or,  on  the  other  hand,  logically. 
The  soul  is  intent  upon  connecting  and  linking  its  con- 
cepts;  and  the  more  intimate  such  connection  the  more 
easily  and  tenaciously  it  retains  them.  And  the  more 
surely  it  will  reproduce  them;  for  the  reproduction  of 
concepts  is  the  next  stage  in  the  development  of  men- 
tal life.  Although  concepts  may  have  passed  below  the 
threshold  of  consciousness,  the  soul  can  cause  them  to 
rise  again,  as  it  were,  and  become  conscious  of  them 
once  more.  Such  reproduction,  however,  in  most  cases, 
does  not  take  place  immediately,  but  mediately.  Re- 
production is  called  immediate  when  a  concept  that  has 
sunk  beneath  the  threshold  of  consciousness,  rises 
spontaneously  into  consciousness,  without  the  stimula- 
tion or  co-operation  of  any  conscious  concept.  This, 
however,  is  rendered  possible  only  when  its  formation, 
in  the  first  place,  has  been  accompanied  by  profound  in- 
terest and  vivid  emotion.  When,  on  the  other  hand,  a 
concept  that  had  dropped  below  the  threshold  of 
consciousness  is  lifted  into  consciousness  through  an- 
other, conscious,  concept,  a  mediate  reproduction  is  ef- 
fected. Such  reproduction  takes  place  according  to 
the  following  laws:  (1)  If  the  soul  has  formed  sev- 
eral simultaneous  concepts,  it  recalls  through  the  one 
that  has  remained  in  its  consciousness  those  of  which 
it  had  become  unconscious.  As  a  case  in  point,  the  dog 
always  seen  by  me  in  accompaniment  of  a  certain  man, 
recalls  his  image  to  my  mind  after  he  is  dead.  (2)  Con- 
cepts which  have  successively  passed  into  consciousness 
recall   each   other  in   their  original   order.     The   begin- 


230  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

ning  of  a  melody,  for  instance,  calls  to  mind  the  re- 
mainder, on  the  ground  that  the  latter  appeared  in  con- 
sciousness after  the  former.  (3)  Similar  concepts  re- 
call one  another.  For  instance,  the  thought  of  the  judg- 
ment upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrha  lifts  into  consciousness 
that  of  the  flood.  (4)  Contrary  concepts  recall  one  an- 
other. For  instance,  the  prodigal  son  recalls,  in  view 
of  the  several  unhappy  features  of  his  present  life,  the 
opposite,  happy,  ones  of  his  past. 

Also  these  features  of  the  mental  life  of  his  pupil 
suggest  to  the  teacher  of  religion  various  hints  and 
duties  in  regard  to  his  teaching.  Reflecting  upon  the 
limitation  of  consciousness,  he  will  refrain  from  offer- 
ing manifold  things  in  rapid  succession  and  thus  as- 
sailing the  soul  of  the  pupil  by  new  concepts  while  it  is 
still  engrossed  with  the  old  ones.  The  power  of  the 
soul  to  retain  and  recall  concepts  once  formed,  acts  as 
an  incentive  for  the  teacher  to  keep  concepts  of  what  is 
sinful  and  vile  as  far  as  possible  from  the  pupil ;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  to  fill  his  soul  with  clear  moral  and 
spiritual  concepts,  setting,  in  word  and  deed,  an  ex- 
ample of  a  true  Christian  life.  The  tendency  of  the  soul 
to  connect  its  new  concepts  with  those  already  a  part  of 
its  consciousness,  points  to  the  duty  on  the  teacher's 
part  to  unite  every  new  cognition  with  the  existing  sum 
of  knowledge,  so  that,  everything  confronting  and  influ- 
encing the  soul  as  a  compact  unit,  one  concept  may  after- 
ward lift  another  into  conscious  life  through  the  power 
of  association,  and  the  one  support  the  other.  And  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  a  reproduction  of  previous  con- 
cepts is  facilitated  and  assured  by  the  interest  with 
which  they  had  been  formed  in  the  first  place  and  subse- 
quently   revived,   whereby,    according   to   the   law   that 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  231 

like  concepts  fuse  into  one,  they  have  been  clarified  and 
strengthened,  he  will,  by  every  means  possible,  endeavor 
to  interest  his  pupil  in  religious  instruction.  This  in- 
cludes that  he  will  insist  upon  frequent  reviews  ("If 
review  becomes  necessary,  it  is  already  too  late"). 
He  will  pay  particular  attention  to  the  recapitulation  of 
essentials  and  to  discriminating  drill  work.  An  under- 
standing of  the  principles  here  involved  will  cause  the 
teacher  to  appreciate  the  significance  of  religious  habits 
and  customs  and  their  cultivation  from  early  youth. 

The  soul's  faculty  of  unaltered  reproduction  we  call 
memory.  This  can  and  should  be  strengthened  by  ap- 
propriate exercise ;  but  the  memory  should  not  be  over- 
loaded, since  that  would  have  a  weakening  effect.  When 
the  soul  purposely  appropriates  several  concepts  in  defi- 
nite order  it  "memorizes".  Such  memorizing  may  be 
"logical",  or  "judicious",  in  that  the  concepts  to  be 
committed  are  viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  order  and 
inner  connection,  a  process,  whereby  appropriation,  re- 
tention, and  reproduction  are  facilitated  and  the  powers 
of  the  soul  enhanced.  However,  if  the  purpose  is  an 
unaltered  reproduction  of  the  material  memorized  and 
such  mastery  of  the  concepts  in  question  that  they  can 
be  turned  to  account  at  any  time,  mechanical  memory 
must  be  combined  with  the  judicious  one  in  order  to 
render  a  verbatim  appropriation  possible.  Occasionally 
a  concept  not  germane  to  the  subject  may  be  utilized  to 
serve  as  aid  in  the  apprehension  of  the  order  and  a  surer 
reproduction  of  it.  E.  g.,  in  order  to  remember  better 
the  beginning  of  the  several  stanzas  of  a  poem,  a  sen- 
tence may  be  formed  of  the  initial  letters  or  words.  This 
is  what  we  call  ingenious,  or  "mnemonic"  memorizing. 
Also  in  religious  instruction  the  teacher  is  occupied  with 


232  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

the  appropriation  of  facts  and  truths,  of  verses  and 
stanzas.  While  the  teacher  is  bound  to  drill  his  pupils 
in  the  art  of  judicious  memorizing,  he  will  not  overlook 
the  value  of  mechanical  memorizing  in  connection  with 
the  former.  Above  all,  he  will  guard  against  the  mis- 
take of  insisting  upon  the  memorizing  of  the  several 
members  of  a  series  before  sufficient  light  has  been 
thrown  upon  them  from  the  viewpoint  of  content  and 
connection.  Otherwise  memorizing  becomes  a  burden; 
and,  however  valuable  the  material  to  be  memorized 
may  be,  or  in  the  future,  may  really  prove  to  be,  the 
effort  of  appropriation,  which  might  prove  exceedingly 
fruitful,  does  not  bring  any  gain  to  the  pupil. 

Instead  of  being  compelled  to  reproduce  the  con- 
cepts acquired  in  an  unaltered  state,  the  soul  is  able 
to  change  and  combine  them  into  new  forms.  The 
soul  may  dispose  of  them  with  as  much  freedom  as  the 
type-setter  of  his  types,  which  he  rearranges  for  com- 
binations ever  new.  The  soul  may  eliminate  or  ab- 
stract, supplement  and  combine.  This  faculty  of  the 
soul  is  called  phantasy.  The  soul  forms  abstractions 
when  it  eliminates  what  is  incidental  and  retains  what 
is  essential ;  when  definite  attributes  and  activities  that 
adhere  to  certain  objects  and  cannot  be  thought  of  as 
existing  by  themselves  are  conceived  as  independent  of 
their     object.*)        On     the     other     hand,        the     soul 


*)  The  attribute  round  and  the  activity  of  motion  I  can- 
not conceive  with  my  senses  as  real  and  independent  of  any 
object.  They  rather  coalesce  (concrescere)  with  the  object — 
the  globe,  a  fact  which  has  given  rise  to  the  name  assigned 
to  such  object — concretum.  However,  the  soul  is  able  to  detach 
its  attention  from  the  object  as  such  (abstrahere)  ;  to  note  only 
the  roundness  and  rolling  movement  of  the  globe,  thus  pro- 
ducing the  concept  roundness. 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  233 

is  able  to  add  to  the  abstract  and  general  the 
concrete  and  the  special,  and  thereby  to  supplement, 
illustrate,  and  vivify  the  former.  Finally,  the  soul  may 
take  existing  concepts,  and,  by  new  combinations,  create 
new  forms.  Through  phantasy,  accordingly,  the  soul 
becomes  an  artist,  creating  for  itself,  on  the  basis  of 
existing  things  and  through  powers  inherent  in  itself, 
a  new  world — a  world  of  its  own.  Rich  and  varied  be- 
comes the  inner  life  through  the  power  of  phantasy: 
through  this  power  the  soul  becomes  familiar  with  the 
past,  intimate  with  the  future,  sympathetic  of  the  weal 
and  woe  of  others,  participant  in  the  activities  of  their 
life,  willing  to  help.  For  as  phantasy  through  vivid 
images  stimulates  the  emotions,  even  so  it  stirs  the  will 
to  action.  Why,  then,  should  the  instructor  of  religion 
fail  to  quicken  and  nurture  the  phantasy  of  the  pupil  by 
supplying  details  and  cultivating  clear  apprehension? 
He  would,  in  that  case,  leave  unused  the  key  to  the  emo- 
tions and  will  of  his  pupil ;  he  would  fail  to  lead  the  pupil 
to  joy  that  thrills,  to  sincere  grief,  to  a  noble  thirst  for 
action,  to  a  fiery  enthusiasm  for  all  that  is  good,  true, 
and  beautiful.  To  be  sure,  Holy  Scripture,  which,  fair- 
ly brimming  with  pedagogic  wisdom,  never  wearies  to 
paint  the, glory  of  eternal  life  in  images  ever  grateful 
and  changing,  would,  in  this  respect,  have  remained 
without  a  lesson  for  such  a  preceptor. — That  the  healthy 
phantasy  dare  not  be  confounded  with  the  uncontrolled 
imagination,  despite  many  points  of  similarity,  is  a  fact 
to  which  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  call  the  attention  of 
the  teacher  of  religion.  If  the  former  requires  culti- 
vation, the  latter  requires  repression  and  emancipation 
from   its   thrall.     Fantastic   conceptions,   such   as   delu- 


234  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

sions,  illusions,  hallucinations,  are  mental  products 
which  have  their  origin  in  a  departure  from  the  nor- 
mal  relation  of  perception  and  intuition. 

However,  the  earlier  concepts,  in  consequence  of 
their  preservation  and  reproduction  by  memory,  do  not 
only  constitute  the  material  for  the  creative  imagina- 
tion, but  provide  also  the  means  to  interpret  and  under- 
stand new  objects  presenting  themselves  to  the  soul. 
When  the  child,  after  it  has  already  become  acquainted 
with  several  other  birds,  for  the  first  time  catches  sight 
of  a  crane,  it  not  only  receives  an  image  transmitted  to 
it  through  its  organs  of  sense,  but  is  also  at  once  by 
the  similarity  of  the  new  bird  reminded  of  the  birds  seen 
with  more  or  less  distinctness  on  previous  occasions. 
Spontaneously  it  compares  the  new  bird  with  the  old 
ones,  and  cognizes  the  evident  resemblance  alongside 
of  the  points  of  difference,  thus  perceiving  the  crane,  too, 
as  a  bird.  Such  capacity  of  the  soul  to  interpret  new 
concepts  by  others,  already  formed;  to  understand 
them;  to  correctly  associate  them  with  those  preceding, 
we  call  apperception  (adpercipere).  Every  perception 
of  a  new  sense  impression  in  the  form  of  a  definite  ob- 
ject of  the  external  world;  every  cognition  and  recogni- 
tion by  the  senses  of  things,  persons,  phenomena ;  every 
comprehension  of  words  heard  or  read,  the  interpreta- 
tion of  rhetorical  figures,  etc.,  takes  place  through  such 
illuminating  interpenetration  of  new  sense  impressions 
by  concepts  previously  gained;  that  is,  through  apper- 
ception. The  soul  leans,  as  it  were,  upon  the  old  con- 
cepts as  a  foundation  from  which  to  dominate  the 
new  material,  to  cognize  it,  to  put  it  in  its  proper  place, 
and  thus  to  master  it.  Old  concepts  serve  the  soul 
as  key  to  the  new  cognitions  that  it  assimilates  for  its 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  235 

own  enrichment,  but  eventually  also  to  the  clarification 
and  correction  of  its  past  possessions.  Once  cognized, 
the  new,  in  turn,  sheds  light  upon  the  old,  so  that  learn- 
ing is  not  only  an  acquisition  but  frequently  also  a 
transformation. 

From  the  fact  of  apperception  results  a  principle 
of  great  didactic  importance  also  for  religious  instruc- 
tion :  from  the  old  to  the  new ;  from  the  known  to  the 
unknown;  from  the  near  to  the  remote.  Correlated  to 
the  fact  of  apperception  is  the  sacred  duty  of  the  teacher 
to  acquaint  himself  with  the  concept-mass  at  the  com- 
mand of  his  pupils,  a  duty  which  he  performs  by  ob- 
serving them  at  play ;  by  scrutinizing  their  literature ; 
by  gaining  knowledge  of  their  home  life;  perhaps  also 
by  the  imposition  of  an  occasional  literary  task ;  by 
the  unceasing  and  careful  attention  paid  to  the  questions 
and  answers  during  the  process  of  instruction.  From 
the  world  of  concepts  with  which  he  has  thus  acquainted 
himself,  it  behooves  the  teacher  to  draw  forth  what  may 
serve  as  point  of  contact  for  the  new  things  to  be  offered. 
From  these  the  needed  light  is  to  be  cast  upon  the  new, 
in  order  to  facilitate  its  apprehension  by  the  pupil,  and 
then  to  lead  him  step  by  step  from  the  old  into  the  new, 
without  gaps  and  leaps,  thus  rendering  possible  its 
thorough  comprehension,  co-ordination,  and,  therewith 
mastery,  and,  finally,  the  clarification  and  correction  of 
the  old.  "For  what  one  has  no  related  thoughts,  no 
points  of  contact,  no  adequate  concept  material,  for  that 
he  has  no  eye,  no  understanding".  If  the  teacher  of  re- 
ligion does  not  come  down  in  his  language  to  the  voca- 
bulary of  the  children,  or  if  he  speaks  of  things  altoge- 
ther beyond  their  horizon,  they  will  indeed  hear  his 
words,  but  merely  as  a  sound,  which,  though  perceived 


236  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

by  the  ear,  is  not  understood  by  the  mind,  or  even  mis- 
understood. The  reason  is  that,  in  the  concept  realm 
of  the  child,  there  is  no  image  that  might  serve  as  a 
clew  to  the  mysterious  words  and  images  employed  by 
the  teacher.  While  such  remissness  on  the  teacher's 
part  will  cause  the  pupil  to  lose  attention  and  interest, 
and  to  abandon  hope  of  ever  obtaining  mastery  of  the 
new,  it  is  precisely  the  subjecting  of  the  new  to  the  light 
of  the  old  which  arouses  the  pupil's  attention  and  inter- 
est. The  pupil  concentrates  his  attention  upon  the  one 
point  by  which  he  is  to  be  made  to  understand.  There 
begins  a  process  of  observation  and  comparison  of  the 
old  with  the  new;  a  joint  seeking  and  searching.  Every 
find,  that  is,  every  step  of  progress  upon  the  way  to 
thorough  comprehension,  arouses  joy  and  courage  for 
further  effort.  There  has  been  aroused  an  interest  in  the 
task  which  renders  occupation  with  it  a  matter  of  wil- 
lingness and  gladness ;  which  enables  the  pupil  to  at- 
tend to  his  task  with  all  his  soul;  which  prompts  him 
never  to  desist  until  the  task  shall  have  been  wholly 
performed,  and  mastery  of  the  new  shall  have  crowned 
his  effort. 

c.  Thinking  forms  the  third  stage  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  intellectual  life  of  the  soul.  In  its  elemen- 
tary form,  indeed,  in  which  it  serves  as  an  expression 
of  all  that  consciously  takes  place  in  the  soul,  it  is 
united  with  sensation  and,  even  more,  with  concept. 
How,  but  for  the  thinking  activity,  could  the  soul  render 
possible  the  orientation  of  itself  to  the  outer  world; 
how  could  it  visualize  and  cognize  the  object  from 
which  the  stimulus  proceeds?  How  could  it  be  able  to 
recognize,  associate,  and  combine  its  concepts?  How, 
but  for  the  thinking  faculty,   could  it  be  able,  by  the 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  237 

use  of  phantasy,  to  dispose  freely  of  the  existing  con- 
cepts and  cognize  the  new  by  means  of  the  old,  and 
to  classify  them  accordingly?  However,  from  this  type 
of  thinking,  more  or  less  -elementary,  we  have  to  dis- 
tinguish the  logical  type;  and  the  principles  which  de- 
termine this  latter  take  us  to  higher  ground.  The  soul 
is  able  not  only  to  perceive  and  compare  occurrences 
outside  of  itself,  to  understand  relations  of  time  and 
space  and  to  retain  accidental  mechanical  associations, 
but  also  the  inner,  or  essential,  relations,  that  is,  to  de- 
termine logical  connections.  The  soul  can  examine  the 
objects  of  its  conception  as  to  whether  they  are  inward- 
ly related  as  cause  and  effect,  reason  and  result,  pur- 
pose and  means,  genus  and  species,  object  and  attribute, 
etc.  It  has  the  faculty  of  associating  that  which  belongs 
together,  and  of  separating  that  wThich  does  not  belong 
together — processes  whereby  not  only  order  and  clear- 
ness are  brought  about  in  the  existing  mental  content, 
but  also  new  facts  inferred  from  those  already  existing 
and  clearly  cognized.  Such  activity  we  call  logical 
thinking,  and  the  faculty  exercising  it  is  called  reason. 
Thus,  when,  in  physics,  a  natural  phenomenon  is  rec- 
ognized as  the  cause  of  a  natural  force ;  when,  in  his- 
tory,  one  event  is  conceived  as  the  result  of  another; 
when,  in  language,  the  nature  of  an  element  of  the  sen- 
tence is  shown  at  the  hand  of  a  number  of  examples, 
or  a  poem  is  analyzed  in  regard  to  the  connection  or  the 
motives  back  of  the  treatment  of  the  theme,  etc. — al- 
ways the  object  is  to  prove  the  inner,  or  logical,  rela- 
tions between  the  concepts  in  question :  that  is,  logi- 
cal thinking. 

If  complete  control  of  the  entire  concept  world  is 
impossible  but  for  the  exercise  of  the  faculties  here  de- 


238  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

scribed,  how  can  the  teacher  of  religion  fail  to  cultivate 
logical  thinking?  He  will  not  be  satisfied  with  a  dis- 
connected serial  arrangement  of  the  stories  of  the  Bible 
or  with  mechanically  joining  the  several  features  of  a 
single  narrative;  rather  he  will  induce  the  children  to 
ask  questions  in  regard  to  the  logical  connection,  the 
impelling  motive,  ground  and  consequence,  cause  and  ef- 
fect. He  will  take  pains  to  set  forth  the  underlying  laws 
of  divine  and  human  action,  which,  despite  the  changes 
that  have  taken  place  in  present  forms  of  life,  are  still  in 
force  today,  clamoring  for  observance  in  every  sphere 
of  Christian  life.  He  will  not  proceed  to  the  specific 
treatment  of  a  new  section  of  the  Catechism  without  pre- 
vious logical  analysis ;  and  when  specific  facts  have 
been  cognized,  he  will  not  permit  any  of  them  to  remain 
isolated,  but  ascertain  the  points  of  contact  with  pre- 
vious mental  gains,  thus  weaving  all  things  into  unity — 
the  unity  of  the  Christian  view  of  life.  Thus  the  pupil 
will  be  made  to  see  the  value  of  religious  instruction; 
his  interest  in  it  grows ;  he  puts  on  the  armor  against 
many  a  doubt  and  assault  that,  at  a  later  day,  shall 
be  launched  against  his  faith. 

The  most  important  forms  in  which  logical  think- 
ing moves,  or  deposits  its  results,  are  the  conception, 
the  judgment,  and  the  conclusion.  The  soul  forms  a 
conception  when  it  combines  into  a  unity  of  thought  the 
("essential,  necessary)  marks  of  individual  objects  or 
cases.  This  is  a  fourfold  process :  reproduction,  re- 
flection, abstraction,  and  combination.  If,  e.  g.,  the  con- 
ception of  a  tree  is  to  be  formed,  it  must  first  repro- 
duce the  images  of  all  trees  formerly  seen.  Then  it 
will  be  necessary  to  consider  what  common  marks  all 
these  trees  possess,  which  of  the  marks  discovered  are 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  239 

essential  and  which  unessential,  so  that  the  latter  may 
be  distinguished  from  the  former;  and,  finally,  those 
essential  must  be  combined  into  a  rounded-out,  com- 
plete, conception,  the  thought  unit.  The  totality  of  the 
objects  covered  by  one  and  the  same  conception  is  called 
its  extension,  while  the  totality  of  essential  marks  is 
called  its  content.  By  observation  of  the  extension  the 
genus  is. determined,  while  the  distinguishing  marks  are 
determined  through  observation  of  the  content.  Com- 
bining the  two  and  expressing  the  result  in  terms,  a  defi- 
nition is  rendered.  E.  g.,  the  tree  is  a  plant  (genus), 
consisting  of  root,  trunk,  and  branches  (content  of  the 
conception,  distinguishing  marks).  Thus  the  soul  has 
formed  a  judgment,  inasmuch  as  two  conceptions  (tree, 
plant)  have  been  associated  and  their  relation  has  been 
fixed.  It  is  the  very  essence  of  the  judgment  that  clear- 
ness is  gained  in  regard  to  the  relation  of  two  concep- 
tions; and  when  the  conviction  thus  gained  is  embraced 
in  a  sentence,  a  judgment  has  been  delivered.  How- 
ever, the  soul  is  not  only  able  to  gain  clearness  in  regard 
to  the  relation  of  two  conceptions  and  to  express  its 
judgment  accordingly,  but  also  to  bring  one  judgment 
into  relation  with  another,  and  thus  to  produce  a  new,  a 
third,  judgment.  Inasmuch  as  a  third  judgment  results 
here  from  two  preceding  ones,  the  resultant  one  is 
called  a  conclusion.  The  soul  may  draw  a  conclusion 
in  three  various  ways :  by  the  method  of  deduction,  in 
that  the  specific  is  deduced  from  the  general.  E.  g. 
all  men  are  mortal  (major  premise)  ;  Caius  is  a  man 
(minor  premise)  ;  hence  Caius  is  mortal  (conclusion). 
Secondly,  by  the  method  of  induction,  in  that  a  number 
of  specific  judgments  are  first  formed,  whereupon  a  gen- 
eral  conclusion   is   drawn.      E.   g.,   heat   expands   iron: 


240  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

also  water ;  also  air  etc.,  in  consequence  it  is  likely  that 
it  expands  every  object.  Thirdly,  by  the  method  of 
analogy,  in  that,  from  an  agreement  of  two  or  more  ob- 
jects in  one  or  several  respects  the  conclusion  is  drawn 
that  there  is  agreement  in  still  other  respects.  E.  g., 
a  hen  protects  its  chicks ;  should  not,  therefore,  a  mother 
protect  her  children? 

Kant  makes  a  further  distinction  between  "Verstand" 
(understanding)  and  "Vernunft"  (reason).  "Verstand"  he  de- 
fines as  the  faculty  of  the  soul  daling  with  finite  relations  and 
dependent  being,  while  "Vernunft",  the  highest  faculty  of  the 
mind,  according  to  him  deals  with  infinite  and  independent 
being;  it  is  the  faculty  of  "ideas".  However,  "Vernunft"  con- 
nottes  no  further  advance  in  the  soul's  activity,  but  merely  a 
difference  in  regard  to  the  object  with  which  the  same  faculty 
is  occupied.  While  it  deals  with  the  supersensible,  the  abso- 
lute, the  infinite,  the  perfect,  the  divine,  it  is  after  all  the  same 
faculty  that  is  in  question,  the  same  in  its  essence,  forms,  and 
laws.  For  this  reason  no  further  description  of  it  is  re- 
quired. 

In  the  activity  of  the  thinking  faculty  the  soul 
reaches  indeed  the  highest  point  of  intellect  life;  but 
this  is  not  to  be  understood  as  if  rational 
thinking  were  impossible  save  at  the  end  of  a  long  pro- 
cess of  cultural  growth.  Rational  thinking  is  found  in 
the  pupil  rather  as  an  original,  native  power  of  his 
soul.  Its  existence  is  evinced  in  many  a  question  asked 
by  the  child  in  the  first  years  of  its  life,  just  as  the  whole 
potential  tree  is  already  found  in  the  acorn,  which,  like- 
wise, betrays  and  asserts  its  individuality  in  the  first 
years  of  its  development.  But  as  the  little  oak-tree  can 
develop  its  pre-existent  and  pre-determined  powers 
only  where  weather,  soil,  nurture,  etc.,  are  favorable,  the 
thinking  faculty  of  the  soul  can  realize  complete  ma- 
turity only  where  sensation  and  conception  are  in  a  nor- 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  241 

mal  state  of  development;  and  this  innate  faculty  is 
trained  to  healthy  exercise  by  education  and  discipline. 
Inasmuch  as  the  teacher  of  religion  has  his  share 
in  the  mental  development  of  his  pupil,  and  is,  moreover, 
aware  of  the  fact  that  the  material  offered  through  re- 
ligious instruction  will  have  to  maintain  itself  later  in 
the  face  of  much  temptation  and  diverse  doubt,  he  can- 
not possibly  neglect  teaching  the  pupil  how  to  digest 
intellectually  the  religious  material,  and  how  to  form 
precise  conceptions,  deliver  correct  judgments,  and  draw 
logical  conclusions.  He  will,  indeed,  take  good  care  not 
to  pass  on  to  the  pupil  ready-made  conceptions ;  he  will 
rather  induce  him,  on  the  way  of  vivid  intuitions,  to 
gather  the  material  from  the  sphere  of  Biblical  History 
and  daily  life,  and  to  discover  for  himself  all  marks  of 
distinction ;  but  when  all  this  has  been  done,  he  will  not 
permit  him  to  be  mired  in  his  intuitions,  but  teach  him 
to  gather  the  marks  of  distinction  which  he  has  dis- 
covered into  conceptions.  For  as  certain  as  it  is  that 
"conceptions  without  intuition  are  barren",  so  certain  it 
is,  on  the  other  hand,  that  "intuition  without  conceptions 
are  blind".  The  more  central  a  conception,  and  the  more 
easily  a  term  is  robbed  of  its  meaning  or  supplied  with 
a  false  meaning,  the  more  insistent  the  teacher  of  reli- 
gion will  prove  himself  to  be  in  giving  it,  his  class  co- 
operating, clear  and  precise  formulation,  and  ever  to  re- 
turn to  the  conception  in  the  precise  terms  in  which  it  has 
been  fixed.  Likewise  he  will  teach  his  pupils  to  form  in- 
dependent judgments  and,  therefore,  never  to  be  satisfied 
with  results  obtained  through  guessing.  He  will  permit 
no  gaps  in  the  thinking  process,  but  proceed  step  by  step 
in  the  development  of  a  truth.  He  will  lay  particular 
stress   upon   the   development   and   inculcation   of   clear 


242  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

moral  judgments.  In  the  criticism  of  acts  and  the  judg- 
ment of  persons,  he  will  point  out  the  guiding  motives, 
and  thus  bring  about  the  spontaneous  discovery  upon 
the  part  of  the  child  that  the  moral  worth  of  every  act 
depends  altogether  upon  the  motives  finding  expression 
therein.  Examples  from  contemporaneous  life  are  likely 
to  prove  very  helpful  in  this  respect.  If  a  conclusion 
is  to  be  drawn,  he  will  primarily  follow  the  path  of  in- 
duction— from  the  example  he  will  ascend  to  the  rule, 
from  the  phenomenon  to  the  law,  from  the  special,  as  it 
is  seen  or  shown,  to  the  general.  Nor  will  he  himself 
draw  the  conclusions,  but  permit  the  pupil  to  draw  them. 
One  of  the  teacher's  main  objects  will  be  the  develop- 
ment of  the  pupil's  mind  by  the  question  method  and  the 
consequent  training  of  the  latter  in  independent  mental 
activity.  Has  the  teacher  succeeded,  in  partnership 
with  his  pupil,  thoroughly  to  treat  and  digest  the  mate- 
rial in  question,  he  can  require  of  him  to  clothe  in  clear, 
expressive  words  what  he  has  cognized.  The  measure 
of  the  ability  of  the  pupil  to  give  clear  expression  of 
the  matter  taught  is  for  the  teacher  a  trustworthy  mea- 
sure of  the  success  with  which  his  effort  has  been 
crowned. 

2.  The  Emotions. 
The  life  of  the  soul,  however,  is  not  restricted  to 
the  exercise  of  the  intellectual  faculty  (sensation,  con- 
cept, thinking)  :  linked  with  the  intellectual  faculty 
are  the  emotions.  With  the  processes  of  sensation,  con- 
cept, and  thinking  are  joined  various  conditions  of 
pleasure  and  displeasure,  such  as  sensuous  pain  and 
sensuous  delight,  joy  and  sadness,  fear  and  hope,  dis- 
gust and  enthusiasm,  delight  in  the  beautiful  and  the 
good,    repugnance   toward   the   ugly   and   hideous.     All 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  243 

such  excitations  and  states  of  the  soul  we  call  emotions. 
Whiie  they  are  never  aroused  without  previous  sensa- 
tions, concepts,  and  acts  of  thinking,  they  are  es- 
sentially different  from  these.  By  the  exercise  of  the 
intellectual  faculty  we  experience  that  things  are  and 
how  they  are ;  through  the  emotions,  however,  the  value 
is  registered  which  they  possess  for  us.  In  propor- 
tion to  their  worth  or  worthlessness  in  our  eyes  they 
move  our  soul  as  soon  as  they  have  become  elements  of 
consciousness.  Emotion,  accordingly,  is  the  organ  of 
valuation,  the  source  of  every  interest,  a  fact  which  ex- 
plains the  great  importance  attached  to  it. 

The  feelings  of  the  soul  are  divided  according  to 
their  content  and  their  origin.  According  to  content 
they  are  either  emotions  of  pleasure  or  displeasure  (for 
instance,  the  agieeable  feeling  of  a  pleasant  taste  or 
smell,  the  joy  in  a  successfully  completed  task,  in  ob- 
jects of  beauty,  etc.)  or  of  displeasure(  for  instance, 
bodily  pain,  hunger,  fear,  discontent,  ennui,  etc.).  Ac- 
cording to  origin  they  are  either  sensuous  or  mental. 
The  sensuous  feelings  postulate  merely  a  sensation, 
with  which  they  appear  as  concomitant  phenomena. 
E.  g.,  when  a  piece  of  sugar  is  taken  into  the  mouth, 
the  sensation  thus  produced  is  accompanied  by  a  feel- 
ing of  pleasure.  They  do  not  postulate  any  con- 
cept or  thinking  activity  of  the  soul.  This  is 
the  reason  that  the  emotions  appear  in  the  first 
stage  of  the  child's  life.  That  it  is  agreable  to  be  seated, 
to  be  warm,  to  hear  a  soft,  sleep-producing  sound;  and, 
likewise,  that  it  is  disagreeable  to  be  subjected  to  hun- 
ger, to  cold,  or  to  a  dazzling  light,  is  something  felt  by 
even  the  infant  in  the  very  first  weeks  of  its  life.  The 
mental  emotions,  however,  postulating  the  faculty  of  the 


244  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

soul  to  form  concepts  and  to  think,  are  aroused  by 
these  alone.  For  this  reason  they  require  a  certain  de- 
gree of  mental  development.  Inasmuch  as  we  deal  pri- 
marily with  the  latter,  they  require  closer  attention.  We 
enumerate  the  following  emotions  or  feelings :  intellec- 
tual, esthetic,  ethical,  religious,  and  social ;  likewise  those 
incidental  to  the  valuation  of  one's  own  person. 

a.  The  search  for  truth  is  a  trend  innate  in  the 
soul.  "When,  therefore,  after  exhausting  mental  labor, 
a  truth  has  been  found,  the  soul  is  stirred  in  an  agreeable 
manner  by  the  success  attained;  it  feels  joy  and  delight 
over  it ;  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  is  in  evidence.  Every 
new  cognition,  every  new  enrichment  of  knowledge, 
every  new  experience  of  mental  power  and  progress,  has 
such  a  joy,  such  a  feeling  of  pleasure  as  concomitant 
phenomenon.  When,  on  the  other  hand,  the  soul  makes 
no  progress  in  its  efforts ;  when  it  does  not  find  the  solu- 
tion of  its  problems ;  or  when  it  must  confess  that  the 
discovery  cannot  possibly  be  the  whole  truth,  displea- 
sure, discomfort,  discontent,  and  dejection  make  them- 
selves felt.  All  such  feelings  are  called  intellectual  feel- 
ings, being  emotions  of  the  soul  that  accompany  the  suc- 
cess or  the  failure  of  intellectual  effort  and  indicate  the 
value  recognized  by  us  in  the  one  or  the  other  respec- 
tively. They  are  of  the  greatest  significance  for  man's 
mental  development,  in  that  they  do  not  permit  him 
permanently,  with  out  self -depreciation,  to  be  content 
with  false  or  immature  results  of  his  mental  efforts. 
They  act  as  a  spur  to  further  research  until  the  correct 
solution  shall  have  been  found.  The  teacher,  to  be 
sure,  especially  the  teacher  of  religion,  is  bound  to  cul- 
tivate most  zealously  the  emotions  in  question,  since  they 
are  the  best  allies  in  his  own  labor.     For  this  reason 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  245 

he  will  not  commit  to  the  pupil  a  religious  or  moral 
truth  as  a  finished  result ;  he  will  rather  enable  him  to 
experience  the  joy  of  seeking,  of  finding,  of  succeeding, 
for  which  reason  he  will  engage  jointly  with  the  pupil 
in  seeking  and  finding  the  individual  truth  on  the  basis 
of  Biblical  History  or  whatever  else  the  material  in  hand 
may  be.  So  conducted,  instruction  is  not  exposed  to  the 
risk  of  ennui  or  mental  barrenness  on  the  pupil's  part. 
He  rather  rejoices  in  the  privilege  of  co-operation;  in- 
struction attracts  and  sustains  his  interest,  becomes  dear 
to  him,  develops  into  a  source  of  joy  for  him.  Every 
such  experience  of  joy  in  a  task  successfully  performed 
results  in  a  desire  and  readiness  for  a  new,  more  diffi- 
cult, task.  The  pupil  has  become  acquainted  with  his 
powers,  and  the  joy  over  past  successes  is  to  him  an 
earnest  of  further  joy  to  be  found  in  each  new  step  of 
progress  and  additional  achievement.  It  is  to  the  inter- 
est of  both  the  pupil  and  the  truth  that  the  teacher  is 
never  satisfied  with  answers  merely  half  correct,  but 
leads  up  to  the  full  apprehension  of  the  truth.  Such  me- 
thod tends  to  enhance  the  pleasure  involved.  By  the 
same  token  the  teacher  will  not  reject  an  answer  half 
correct  as  he  would  one  positively  false.  He  will  rather 
acknowledge  the  measure  of  truth  therein,  whereby  the 
pupil  is  gratified  and  encouraged  to  persist  in  his  quest 
until  the  whole  truth  shall  have  been  found.  Many  a 
pupil,  especially  in  our  country,  has  never  been  taught 
to  think  until  he  receives  religious  instruction.  On  the 
other  hand,  many  a  teacher  has  so  shaped  his  instruc- 
tion as  to  impose  no  task  whatever  upon  the  thinking 
faculty,  and  never  to  stir  the  pupil  to  independent  acti- 
vitv.     The  outcome  has  been  an  absence  of  interest  on 


246  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instrustion 

the  pupil's  part,  of  a  fruitage  of  joy,  of  any  permanent 
gain. 

b.  Peculiar  to  the  soul  like  its  sense  of  truth  and 
propriety,  is  its  sense  of  the  beautiful.  By  the  aspect 
of  a  beautiful  landscape,  the  hearing  of  beautiful  music, 
the  recitation  of  a  beautiful  poem,  the  soul  is  most  agree- 
ably touched,  and  a  sensation  of  delight  is  accordingly 
aroused  in  it,  while  it  is  disagreeably  touched,  morti- 
fied, repelled,  by  the  opposite — the  unbeautiful  and  ugly. 
Such  emotions  of  the  soul  as  are  aroused  in  it  by  what 
is  beautiful  and  ugly,  we  call  esthetic  feelings 
(alaOdveaQai) .  That  which  attracts  is  the  regularity, 
symmetry,  and  harmony  of  form  over  against  the  exist- 
ing diversity  and  differences,  especially  when  the  form 
is  filled  with  a  precious  content.  In  all  its  fullness,  how- 
ever, the  beautiful  is  found,  and  its  power  of  attraction  is 
greatest,  when  there  is  a  perfect  correspondence  between 
form  and  content,  the  sensuous  form  being  merely  the 
transparency  through  which  is  shining  the  supersen- 
sible,— precious  thoughts  and  conceptions,  the  perfect, 
the  eternal.  The  culture  of  these  emotions  enriches  the 
inner  life,  safeguards  it  against  what  is  rude  and  vile, 
ennobles  it,  and  erects  a  possible  barrier  against  wick- 
edness and  immorality.  The  teacher  of  religion,  accord- 
ingly, will  not  forbear  cultivating  the  esthetic  emotions. 
The  image  of  creation,  in  both  its  vastest  and  its  minu- 
test aspects,  the  image  of  man  (First  Article),  the  image 
of  Christ  and  those  of  many  of  His  disciples  will  be  used 
by  him  as  object-lessons  of  the  truly  beautiful,  through 
which  he  will  arouse  or  restore  the  sense  of  the  beauti- 
ful. He  will  take  the  time  to  rejoice  with  the  children 
over  some  product  of  sacred  art, — a  beautiful  picture,  a 
beautiful  melody,  a  beautiful  poem.    On  the  other  hand, 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  247 

the  teacher  will  keep  away  and  combat  everything  vile 
and  ugly,  so  that  the  feeling  of  displeasure  in  view  of  it, 
may,  in  its  reaction  against  it,  swell  to  loathing. 

c.  Still  higher  in  the  scale  of  emotion  than  the 
esthetic  feelings  are  the  ethical  ones.  The  unselfishness 
and  peaceful  disposition  of  Abraham,  the  friendship  of 
Jonathan,  the  courageous  confession  of  Stephen,  arouse 
in  our  souls  joy  and  pleasure.  The  impiety  of  Ham, 
the  rebellion  of  Absalom,  the  treason  of  Judas  toward 
the  Lord,  on  the  other  hand,  arouse  in  us  displeasure  and 
repugnance.  Such  emotions  we  call  ethical,  inasmuch  as 
they  consist  in  pleasure  in  what  is  morally  good  and  in 
displeasure  in  what  is  morally  objectionable.  The  soul, 
in  being  aroused  and  pleased  or  delighted  by  what  is 
morally  good,  registers  the  value  that  the  morally  good 
possesses  for  us.  Being  filled  with  displeasure  at  that 
which  is  morally  objectionable,  the  soul  reveals  the  futil- 
ity, the  worthlessness,  yea,  the  hurtfulness  and  danger- 
ous character  of  that  which  is  morally  objectionable. 
The  ethical  emotions  are  accordingly  valuable  safe- 
guards against  wrong-doing  and  effectual  guides  and 
inducements  to  well-doing  on  our  part.  Therein  lies 
their  eminent  significance  for  the  whole  development 
of  our  inner  and  outer  life.  Some  of  their  characteristic 
products  are  the  sense  of  duty,  the  sense  of  justice,  the 
sense  of  truth  and  veracity.  At  first  generally  dull  and 
vacillating,  they  can  be  made  keen,  resolute,  and  strong 
by  training,  so  that,  under  their  influence,  clear  moral 
images  and  conceptions  are  formed  and  healthy  moral 
judgments  become  possible.  The  sum  of  moral  feelings, 
conceptions,  and  judgments  we  call  "the  ethical  con- 
sciousness". 

To  deepen  and  strengthen  the  ethical  emotions  in 


248  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instru  t 

the  pupil's  soul ;  to  enable  the  pupil  to  form  clearly  de- 
fined moral  images  and  conceptions,  and  thus  to  train 
him  for  the  formation  of  healthy  moral  judgments  of  his 
own,  cannot  but  be  one  of  the  chief  tasks  of  the  teacher 
of  religion.  It  will  be  his  duty  to  teach  the  pupil  what 
is  in  truth  morally  good  and  evil;  for,  at  the  outset,  he 
has  no  capacity  and  understanding  except  for  what 
natural  morality  recognizes  as  good  and  evil ;  and  even 
for  that  his  capacity  and  understanding  require  en- 
larging. When  the  opportunity  is  given  to  judge  of  a 
particular  act,  the  teacher  will  induce  his  pupil  to  look 
at  the  act  as  such,  without  first  taking  into  considera- 
tion its  consequences.  In  this  way  the  pupil  is  trained 
to  understand  that  a  good  act  can  never  become  evil 
in  consequence  of  possible  untoward  consequences,  and 
that  an  evil  act  can  never  become  good  in  consequence 
of  possible  favorable  consequences :  every  act  is  freight- 
ed with  its  moral  value.  The  more  clearly  the  pupil  can 
be  made  to  see  this,  the  more  thoroughly  protected  he 
will  be  against  the  conventional  utilitarian  view.  Fur- 
thermore the  teacher  will  train  the  pupil  to  penetrate 
from  the  outward  act  to  the  motive  behind  it,  so  that 
he  may  recognize  that  here  the  source  of  its  value  or 
worthlessness  is  found.  Nor  will  he  ever  weary  of  em- 
phasizing the  fact  that  nothing  is  truly  good  save  that 
which  is  the  spontaneous  outcome  of  faith  and  the  in- 
herent fear  and  love  of  God.  He  will  never  leave  an 
instance  of  Biblical  or  Church  History  unnoticed  which 
is  calculated  to  produce  keen  moral  convictions  and  to 
set  forth  the  value  of  moral  character-  He  will  be- 
ware of  passing  any  save  well  balanced,  sound,  moral 
judgments,  nor  will  he  fail  to  set  a  personal  example  of 
true  morality.     But  he  has  by  no  means  understood  his 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  249 

task,  let  alone  solved  it,  when  he  has  merely  trained  the 
reason   of    his   pupil    to   receive   judgments   concerning 
what   is   morally   good   and   what   is   morally   evil,   and 
when    he    has    personally    exemplified    his    precepts    by 
himself  moving  in  the  forms  of  law.     What  he  has  ac- 
complished in  that  case  is  the  mere  stirring  of  the  in- 
tellect.    The  soul  has   remained  cold  notwithstanding; 
it  has  experienced  nothing;  the  emotions  have  not  been 
touched;  the  reason  has  merely  received  and  repeated 
ready-made   judgments    and    formulas.     Yet,   only   that 
is  important  for  one's  own  life ;  only  that  acts  upon  the 
will   which   has   aroused   the   soul's   interest,   which   has 
acted  upon  the  emotions,  and  which  has  resulted  in  joy 
or  grief  for  the  soul,  thus  impressing  it  with  its  value. 
"Values  cannot  be  recognized  as  such  without  the  in- 
ward   experience    of    them."  *    The    object,    accordingly, 
must  be  with   such   sympathy   and  appreciation   on   his 
own  part  to  represent  moral  goodness  to  the  pupil  in 
the  life  of  concrete  personalities   that  the   soul   of  the 
pupil   is   attracted   and   stirred  to   pleasure.     Moral   ex- 
cellency   will    appear    to    him    of    value    only    when   its 
beauty  and  model  character  have  been  recognized.    That 
which  is  morally  evil,  on  the  other  hand,  should  be  pic- 
tured   with    moral    earnestness    and    unsimulated   loath- 
ing in  all  its  ugliness  and  hatefulness,  in  all  its  power 
to   starve  the  soul   and  to  prison  the  life,   so  that  the 
pupil's  soul,  in  turn,  may  be  stirred  by  the  description 
and  catch  something  of  the  teacher's  loathing.     Finally, 
the  moral  life  of  the  teacher  of  religion  dare  not  possess 
the  stamp  of  legalism  and  constraint ;  it  should  be  char- 
acterized by  freedom  and  gladness,  so  that  the  pupil  may 
become    aware    of    the    elevating,    emancipating,    heart- 
ening, gladdening,  and  exalting  power  of  true  morality 


250  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

(James  1,  25).  Thus  his  soul  will  be  stirred  and  en- 
abled to  recognize  true  morality  as  an  object  of  value 
and  a  worthy  goal  of  endeavor. 

d.  From  the  ethical  are  to  be  distinguished  the 
religious  feelings,  that  is,  those  stirrings  in  the  soul 
which  result  from  the  thought  of  God  and  of  our  re- 
lation to  him.  Even  in  the  life  of  the  natural  man  such 
emotions  make  themselves  felt,  asserting  themselves  as 
the  experience  of  being  touched  by  a  higher  power,  as 
fear  of  his  strong  arm,  as  trust  in  his  help.  To  an 
even  higher  degree  this  is  the  case  with  the  Christian, 
who  knows  his  God  as  holy  Love  and  his  Father  in 
Jesus  Christ.  The  thought  of  God  cannot  but  be  ac- 
companied by  emotions  of  the  soul-  The  soul  is  dis- 
mayed by  the  holiness  of  his  power,  in  which  he  casts 
out  the  sinner ;  it  is  reassured  and  blessed  by  the  thought 
of  that  fellowship  with  God,  ever  open  to  it,  which  cul- 
minates in  communion  with  him  like  that  between  father 
and  child.  Here  we  have  the  soil  in  which  the  moral 
feelings  must  take  root  for  the  attainment  of  greater 
vigor ;  for  if  a  motive  morally  good,  an  act  morally  pure, 
is  sufficient  in  itself  to  release  a  feeling  of  pleasure,  thus 
proving  its  value  and  charm  as  it  is,  how  much  will 
such  pleasure  be  enlarged  when  it  recognizes  that  a  mo- 
tive morally  good,  an  act  morally  pure,  is  good  also  as 
measured  by  God's  standard,  and  thus  able  to  stand  the 
test  of  the  judgment  divine !  Thereby,  in  the  soul's 
estimate,  the  pleasure  in  the  moral  motive  and  act  is 
enhanced  in  value  and  constituted  its  worthy  quest. 
The  divine  approval  of  the  moral  motive  and  act  stimu- 
lates desire  for  it  and  courage  to  make  it  one's  own. 
The  will  exerts  itself  in  the  endeavor  to  attain  it,  which 
explains  that  there  are  no  stronger  incentives   for  the 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  .       251 

will  than  the  religious  feelings.  God  granting  the  power 
for  their  performance  (Phil.  2,  14),  moral  acts  become 
possible. 

The  unity  of  the  moral  and  religious  consciousness 
is  found  in  what  we  call  the  conscience.  Conscience 
judges  of  moral  acts  in  their  relation  to  God ;  thus  it 
determines  their  worth  or  worthlessness;  thus  it  fur- 
nishes the  incentive  for  performing  the  good  and  the 
power  for  recoiling  from  evil ;  thus  it  tastes  in  happi- 
ness or  tormenting  pain  the  worth  or  worthlessness  of 
the  moral  act. 

Religious  instruction  exists  for  the  very  purpose  of 
training  the  religious  feelings.  The  purpose  is  to  place 
the  souls  of  the  pupils  face  to  face  with  God,  so  that 
they  will  walk  before  him,  measure  everything  by  his 
standard,  and  find  joy  and  happiness  only  in  his  fel- 
lowship. For  this  purpose  it  is  necessary  to  show  by 
living  examples  the  meaning  of  true  religiousness,  which 
makes  humble  and  meek  in  prosperity,  strong  and  cheer- 
ful in  adversity,  supplies  life  with  its  most  precious  con- 
tent and  affords  the  only  hold  in  death ;  sets  the  soul 
free  from  sin,  fear,  and  care ;  and  equips  it  with  power 
against  what  is  vile  and  base,  thus  becoming  the  sole 
fountain  of  true,  of  permanent,  happiness.  In  propor- 
tion as  the  pupil  succeeds  in  beholding  the  value  of  re- 
ligion in  the  form  of  living  historic  figures  and,  in  a 
measure,  in  the  life  of  his  teacher  as  well,  he  will  stretch 
out  his  arms  for  it  and  become  willing  to  go  the  way 
on  which  it  promises  to  become  part  of  his  own  life. 
Was  not  this  one  of  the  purposes  of  the  heavenly  Father 
in  letting  His  Son  become  flesh,  that  we  should  behold 
in  Him,  incarnate,  both  His  holiness  and  His  love,  so 
that  our  soul  might  be  stirred  by  the  sight  of  Him  as 


252  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  only  One  whose  pardon,  whose  favor,  is  the  sole 
object  of  consequence  in  heaven  and  on  earth?  He  who, 
during  the  process  of  instruction  has  received  no  taste 
of  the  friendliness  and  graciousness  of  God,  may  know 
much  about  religion,  but,  so  far  as  he  is  concerned,  it 
has  not  become  yet  a  vital  and  necessary  reality. 

e.  To  the  feelings  already  named  should  be  added 
the  social  ones.  We  mean  by  these  all  stirrings  of  the 
soul  that  accompany  our  intercourse  with  others-  Most 
important  among  them  are  the  sympathetic  ones,  name- 
ly, those  arising  through  the  perception  or  conception 
of  the  weal  and  woe  of  others,  whereby  the  gladness  or 
the  sadness  of  others  is  shared.  The  emotion  of  sym- 
pathy was  stirred  when  the  Samaritan  kneeled  down  and 
succored  the  Jew ;  when  Jesus  wept  in  view  of  Jerusa- 
lem's destiny.  This  was  the  emotion  which  Shimei  had 
stifled  when  he  cursed  David,  and  which  the  priest  and 
the  Levite  had  to  suppress  before  they  could  pass  the 
man  fallen  among  murderers.  Where  these  feelings  are 
not  cultivated  man  becomes  embruted :  coldly  he  passes 
the  neighbor  by  in  his  joy  and  grief;  no  one  but  him- 
self is  the  subject  of  his  thoughts.  Wrhere  they  are 
cultivated,  however,  the  response  is  swift  and  vigorous ; 
they  prompt  to  energetic  help  in  case  of  suffering.  How 
can  the  teacher  of  religion  count  on  his  pupil's  deference 
to  the  duties  of  neighborly  love,  on  a  fruitful  association 
on  his  part  with  others,  on  his  participation  in  common 
worship,  on  co-operation  in  the  spheres  of  home  and 
foreign  missions,  unless  he  zealously  cultivate  and 
strengthen  the  sympathetic  feelings,  to  which  everyone 
of  his  pupils  is  disposed  by  nature?  While  the  family  is 
the  primary  nursery  of  the  sympathetic  feelings,  the 
teacher  of  religion  will  not  fail  to  quicken  and  strength- 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  253 

en  them.  He  will  pay  heed  to  the  association  of  his 
pupils;  lie  will  relentlessly  combat  callousness,  envy, 
and  malice,  and  turn  to  account  the  occasions  when  they 
manifest  themselves,  not  merely  for  discipline,  but  for 
the  purpose  of  quickening  the  sympathetic  feelings, 
lie  will  range  over  the  whole  of  his  educational  material 
for  suitable  object-lessons  (for  instance,  Abraham's 
campaign  in  the  interest  of  Lot,  his  intercession  for  the 
cities  in  his  neighborhood,  the  story  of  the  Young  Man 
of  Nain,  the  parables  in  Lk.  15,  etc.).  Especially  the 
story  of  Jesus'  pity  for  the  sheep  without  a  shepherd 
is  replete  with  pertinent  matter  and  opportunities  in  the 
premises.  But  equally  important  is  the  teacher's  own 
example.  The  teacher  who  himself  has  always  time 
to  enter  into  the  joy  and  the  grief  of  his  pupils,  shall  be 
first  to  see  the  soul  of  the  pupil  stir  with  emotion  at  the 
sight  of  grief  and  glee  on  the  part  of  others :  it  has  ex- 
perienced for  itself  the  soothing  power  of  sympathy  in 
joy  and  in  grief  and  appropriated  it  as  a  transcendent 
value.  Among  the  social  feelings  must  be  numbered 
also  love,  respect,  confidence,  and  gratitude.  In  these, 
likewise,  the  soul  expresses  the  value  that  another  per- 
son has  for  it ;  and  who  would  make  bold  to  assert  that 
the  teacher  of  religion  has  no  duties  to  perform  in  the 
directions  here  indicated? 

f  Not  only  by  association  with  others,  but  also  by 
conceptions  of  one's  own  person — its  worth  or  worth- 
lessness,  the  soul  is  moved.  Such  feelings  are  called 
self-esteem,  sense  of  honor,  and  shame.  These  are  by 
no  means  unimportant  for  the  teacher  of  religion.  Rec- 
ognizing the  propriety  of  self-esteem,  he  will  endeavor 
to  educate  the  timid  for  its  exercise.  Without  self-es- 
teem a   courageous  moral   act  is   unthinkable ;   and  the 


254  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

conflict  of  life,  and  the  moral  conflict  in  general,  is  like- 
ly to  be  abandoned  before  it  has  fairly  begun.  Still 
more  frequently,  however,  the  necessity  will  arise  to 
circumscribe  and  thwart  it,  lest  it  should  develop  into 
complacency,  pride,  and  vanity.  The  same  is  true  of 
the  sense  of  honor.  He  who,  devoid  of  the  sense  of 
honor,  is  indifferent  to  both  praise  and  censure,  runs 
the  risk  of  contracting  moral  indifference  as  the  telling 
weakness  of  his  life.  On  the  other  hand,  where  the  sense 
of  honor  has  been  unduly  developed,  it  degenerates  to 
offensive  sensitiveness,  which  often  makes  life  a  burden 
for  others  and,  without  ground,  induces  the  victim  of 
such  perverted  sense  of  honor  to  complain  of  being  neg- 
lected. Special  attention  should  be  given  to  the  sense 
of  shame,  not  only  as  the  guardian  against  many  a  sin, 
but  also,  when  sin  has  been  committed,  as  the  morning- 
dawn  of  a  better  life.  No  true  repentance  is  possible 
without  shame  for  one's  own  moral  failure,  without  pain 
in  consequence  of  the  wrong  committed,  or  of  the  ugly 
and  base  features  in  one's  conduct.  But  mere  sophisti- 
cation in  the  premises  will  not  suffice ;  sin  must  be  view- 
ed in  the  shape  of  living  examples,  so  that  its  baseness 
may  be  felt  by  the  pupil,  if  he  is  ever  to  recognize,  feel, 
and  experience  his  own  sin  as  failure  and  guilt,  for 
which  he  would  like  to  hide  from  both  God  and  men. 
So  rich  and  many-sided  is  the  emotional  life  of  the 
soul  that  it  has  become  necessary  to  speak  of  sensuous, 
intellectual,  esthetic,  moral,  religious,  and  other  feelings. 
And  yet,  that  which  is  really  experi-enced  by  the  soul 
is  invariably  one  of  two  sensations — pleasure  or  dis- 
pleasure ;  everything  else  merely  denotes  the  condition, 
or  sphere,  upon  which  the  soul  reacts  in  such  a  way  as 
to  bring  about  either  joy  or  grief.    Again,  however  nu- 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupii  255 

merous  the  conditions,  or  spheres,  are  in  regard  to 
which  the  soul  may  be  stirred,  always  is  postulated  the 
activity  of  the  intellect.  Not  until  the  intellect  begins 
to  act  upon  the  one  or  the  other  emotional  sphere,  can 
the  soul  be  stirred  accordingly,  ä  fact  from  which  the 
conclusion  must  be  drawn  that  the  emotions  are  the 
concomitant  phenomena  of  intellectual  processes.  Im- 
portant concomitant  phenomena  indeed ;  for  they  are  the 
momentous  criteria  of  the  value  of  the  objects  of  the 
intellectual  world !  They  are,  indeed,  not  absolute  and 
objective  criteria,  inasmuch  as  the  conception  of  the 
morally  good  and  its  value  is  by  no  means  commensurate 
with  the  degree  of  pleasure  aroused  by  them;  and  guilt 
remains  guilt  whether  it  be  felt  as  such  or  not.  More- 
over, to  the  degree  of  the  development  and  training  of 
these  emotions  together  with  congenital  temperamental 
tendencies  the  fact  is  due  that  the  soul  of  the  one,  in 
view  of  the  self-same  object  of  the  material  as  well  as 
the  intellectual  world,  is  stirred  more  intensely  or  speed- 
ily than  the  soul  of  the  other.  The  response  of  the 
sanguine  temperament  is  swift  and  feeble ;  that  of  the 
choleric  temperament  is  swift  and  powerful ;  that  of  the 
melancholy  temperament,  while  strong  and  deep,  is  slow. 
Nevertheless,  the  emotions  are  subjective  criteria  of 
great  moment,  inasmuch  as  they  permit  me  in  a  mea- 
sure to  realize  and  experience  those  objective  rational 
values.  If  the  soul  lacked  the  emotional  faculty,  it 
would  be  devoid  of  an  organ  with  which  to  measure  the 
values  of  the  worlds  of  intellect  and  matter.  Such  val- 
ues might,  indeed,  be  of  transcendent  greatness ;  the 
soul  might  repeat  the  value  judgments  of  others  and, 
even,  give  them  intellectual  endorsement : — an  experi- 
ence of  them,  however,  would  be  impossible. 


25(j  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

While  the  emotions  hitherto  considered  are  excita- 
tions of  the  sonl  arising  in  the  usual  order  of  events, 
those  emotions  which  are  caused  by  unexpected  im- 
pressions or  conceptions  and  which,  at  the  same  time, 
manifest  themselves  with  considerable  force,  are  rarely 
of  long  duration,  and  operate  intensively  upon  body  and 
soul,  are  called  affections.  As  a  result  of  circumstances, 
feelings  already  existing  may  be  so  intensified  by  spe- 
cial influences  as  to  develop  into  affections.  E.  g.,  in- 
tellectual emotions  may  develop  into  embarrassment,  be- 
wilderment, astonishment,  enthusiasm ;  the  esthetic  ones 
into  admiration,  sentimentality,  rapture;  the  ethical  and 
religious  ones  into  indignation,  shame,  remorse,  ecstasy ; 
the  social  ones  into  fervent  love,  resentment,  hate,  rage ; 
self-esteem  into  presumption,  despondency,  fear,  despair. 
Moods  are  called  the  more  permanent  emotional  states, 
whose  connection  with  the  conceptions  and  impressions 
causing  them  is  usually  rather  vague.  The  affections 
as  well  as  the  moods  can  and  should  remain  under  con- 
trol. The  teacher  of  religion  will  succeed  best  in  this 
respect  when  he  makes  the  pupil  feel,  with  living  ex- 
amples as  object-lessons,  what  evil  consequences  most 
of  them  have ;  how  wretched  they  tend  to  make  one ; 
how  an  alien  influence  is  exerted  through  them  upon  a 
man,  so  that  one  that  should  be  free  is  debased  to  the 
condition  of  the  slave.  Often,  while  engaged  in  this 
demonstration,  the  teacher  should  draw  upon  the  moral 
and  religious  feelings.  When  we  speak  of  temper  ("Ge- 
muet"),  we  denote  the  sum  total  of  emotional  pheno- 
mena. 

Closely  connected  with  the  emotional  life  is  what, 
in  psychology  and  pedagogy,  is  called  interest.  It  is 
the  opposite  of  the  mental  state  called  indifference.     If 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  257 

my  soul  is  indifferent  to  anything,  it,  in  no  wise,  reacts 
or  vibrates  to  it;  neither  pleasurable  nor  painful,  the 
presence  of  an  object  of  indifference  is  as  far  from  be- 
ing a  gain  to  the  soul  as  its  absence  is  a  loss.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  I  take  an  interest  in  any  object,  it  cannot 
but  be  of  value  for  me ;  it  must  stir  my  soul  to  gladness, 
so  that,  delighted  by  the  occupation  with  it,  it  singles 
it  out  from  others.  Instead  of  being  in  my  presence 
as  something  foreign  and  indifferent,  the  object  of  in- 
terest sustains  toward  me  a  vital  relation;  a  mutual  de- 
pendence has  set  in  between  my  soul  and  such  object  of 
its  affection;  it  has  obtained  a  sudden  value  for  me, 
and  I  have  become  aware  of  such  value.  But,  interest 
being  the  expression  of  the  subjective  value  of  anything, 
its  connection  with  the  emotions  is  immediate;  for  they 
constitute  the  soul's  organ  through  which  it  cognizes  and 
measures  the  value  possessed  for  it  by  any  object  either 
of  the  material  or  the  intellectual  world.  That  is  the 
reason  why,  as  in  the  case  of  the  emotions,  we  distin- 
guish between  sensuous  and  mental  interests,  dividing 
the  latter  likewise  into  intellectual,  esthetic,  religious, 
sympathetic  or  social  interests.  Yet,  the  difference  be- 
tween interest  and  feeling  dare  not  be  overlooked.  While 
the  latter,  when  moved  to  pain  by  an  object,  indicates 
its  worthlessness,  so  far  as  the  sufferer  is  concerned,  the 
term  interest  is  usually  employed  in  a  positive  sense 
only,  namely,  whenever  the  contemplation  of  any  object 
releases  pleasure  within  us,  and  thereby  proves  its  value 
for  us.  Nor  must  the  organ  of  the  soul  whereby  it 
evaluates  a  given  object  be  confounded  with  the  state 
resulting  from  such  evaluation,  in  which  it  prefers  that 
particular  object  to  others  and  gladly  occupies  itself 
with  it.     But  just  that  is  interest.     In  the  measure  in 


258  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

which  my  soul  is  again  and  again  stirred  to  joy  by  an 
object  or  calls  to  mind  former  joyful  experiences  occa- 
sioned by  it,  interest  in  the  object  in  question  is  strength- 
ened and  deepened;  and  the  more  variously  any  object 
has  influenced  the  soul  in  the  course  of  time  the  clearer, 
when  the  soul  has  become  aware  of  such  influence,  will 
be  the  value  judgments  of  the  soul  in  regard  to  it;  and 
these  will  secure  for  such  object  permanent  interest,  pro- 
vided that  its  later  influences  upon  the  soul  are  altoge- 
ther or  largely  of  a  pleasant  character. — If  the  emotions 
are  rightly  represented  as  the  passage-way  to  the  will, 
since  the  soul  strives  for  nothing  save  what  has  plea- 
surably  affected  it,  the  same  requires  to  be  said  of  in- 
terest to  an  even  higher  degree.  This  is  the  true  mo- 
tive power  of  all  endeavor  and  volition.  How,  there- 
fore, could  the  teacher  of  religion  underestimate  its  im- 
portance, since,  more  than  any  other  teacher,  he  pur- 
poses to  influence  the  will  and  its  activities  ? 

3.    The  Will. 

Alongside  the  intellect  and  the  emotions,  the  will 
is  a  constituent  element  of  the  life  of  the  soul.  The 
soul  not  only  becomes  conscious  of  the  objects  of  the 
worlds  without  and  within  itself,  nor  does  it  merely  esti- 
mate the  value  of  these  objects  by  the  aid  of  the  feel- 
ings ;  it  also  draws  from  the  knowledge  it  has  gained 
and  from  its  valuation  of  these  objects  a  practical  con- 
clusion; it  stretches  forth  toward  that  which  is  pre- 
cious or  attractive  in  order  to  seize  it,  or  it  spurns  that 
which  is  unattractive,  displeasing,  repellent.  This  striv- 
ing for  the  objects  conceived  and  appraised  by  it  consti- 
tutes the  volitional  life  of  the  soul.  Nor  is  the  latter  a 
mere  derivative  product  of  intellect  and  feelings  or  a 
faculty  identical  with  these  powers,  but  rather  an  in- 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  259 

dependent  and  original  factor  of  the  soul's  life,  pre- 
cisely like  the  others.  "While  the  intellect  and  the  feel- 
ings deal  with  objects  of  the  present  moment,  the  soul, 
in  the  will,  turns  toward  the  future  for  the  purpose  of 
effecting  a  change  in  the  circumstances  obtaining  in 
the  present,  either  as  regards  its  own  state  or  that  of 
the  outer  world  conceived  by  it.  In  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  term  "will"  has  many  meanings,  being  understood 
in  a  narrower  and  a  wider  sense,  and  denoting,  in  the 
narrower  sense,  the  consummation  of  the  whole  so- 
called  volitional  life  of  the  soul,  it  would  be  better  to  use 
the  term  "striving".  The  striving  of  the  soul  proceeds 
in  three  stages:  impulse,  desire,  and  volition  proper, 
a.  In  the  initial  stages  of  human  life,  before  the 
formation  of  concepts  and  the  gathering  of  experiences 
of  any  kind,  a  striving  is  felt.  The  child  resting  in  its 
mother's  womb,  although  the  outer  world  has  been  nei- 
ther conceived  nor  experienced  by  it,  strives  and  presses 
outward.  The  new-born  child,  for  the  purpose  of  self- 
preservation,  cries  for  food,  although,  having  had  no 
glimpse  or  experience  of  food,  it  is  ignorant  of  the 
fact  that  thereby  the  sensation  of  hunger  is  removed 
and  the  agreeable  feeling  of  satiety  is  effected.  The 
child  that  has  lain  quiet  for  a  long  time  craves  motion 
and  kicks  until  it  has  freed  itself,  although  there  has 
been  no  previous  knowledge  of  freedom  of  motion  and 
its  agreeable  effect.  Already  in  the  first  months  of  its 
life  it  is  glad  to  consort  with  its  mother  and,  later,  with 
other  children,  without  having  previously  witnessed  so- 
ciability or  experienced  its  value.  There  is  a  hidden 
force  in  the  soul — an  unconscious  striving,  which 
stretches  forth  after  such  things.  This  is  volitional  life 
in  its  lowest  form,  the  impulse.    In  its  manifestation  the 


260  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

striving  may  pertain  either  to  a  sensuous  or  a  mental 
sphere,  a  fact  which  explains  the  usage,  not  altogether 
free  from  objection,  of  our  speaking  of  sensuous  and 
mental  impulses,  as  we  do  in  the  case  of  the  emotions. 
To  the  former  class  belong  the  impulses  for  nutrition 
and  self-preservation,  and  the  sexual  impulse.  To  the 
latter  belong  the  impulses  for  social  fellowship,  for  emu- 
lation, for  activity,  for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge. 
Always  a  force  is  in  question  that,  asserting  itself  un- 
consciously, makes  for  the  gratification  of  important 
needs.  If  the  desire  is  not  satisfied,  body  and  soul  are 
astir  in  the  feelings  accompanying  the  desire,  so  that 
the  resultant  state  of  want  and  privation  may  make  it- 
self felt  with  positive  pain.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the 
desire  is  satisfied,  body  and  soul  are  set  at  rest.  This, 
however,  is  the  case  only  until  the  impulse  in  question 
once  more  begins  to  stir,  and  the  desire  of  the  soul  for 
the  one  or  the  other  object  again  manifests  itself;  for 
the  impulse  is  something  permanent,  existing  for  the 
whole  space  of  life  or,  at  any  rate,  for  the  space  of  a 
certain  stage  of  life,  and  manifesting  itself  again  and 
again  in  the  same  strivings.  In  the  sphere  of  animal  life 
the  impulse  corresponds  to  the  instinct  (instinctus  = 
impulse).  If  the  volitional  life  of  the  soul  had  no  fur- 
ther stages,  it  is  unlikely  that  there  would  be  any  essen- 
tial difference  in  this  respect  between  man  and  the  ani- 
mal. This  implies  that  the  impulse  is  originally  nei- 
ther good  nor  bad;  is,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  morally  neu- 
tral, since  it  is  creatively  an  essential  part  of  human 
nature.  Equally  certain  it  is  that,  in  the  state  of  sin, 
the  impulse  tends  to  exceed  its  bounds,  for  which  rea- 
son it  calls  for  control,  thus  suggesting  a  duty  for  the 
teacher  of  religion  also  in  this  direction. 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  261 

b.  The  impulse  as  such  is  blind;  it  lacks  a  clearly 
recognized  aim.  However,  if,  upon  a  repeated  grati- 
fication of  the  impulse,  the  soul  has  experienced  the 
means  of  such  gratification,  the  impulse  assumes  the 
more  definite  form  of  desire.  There  is  no  more  vague- 
ness of  striving;  striving  now  has  an  aim,  namely,  to 
attain  something  conceived,  concerning  which  experi- 
ence has  taught  that  it  brings  gratification  of  the  im- 
pulse and,  with  it,  the  sensation  of  pleasure.  Thus  is 
brought  about  desire,  in  distinction  from  the  impulse, 
upon  the  ground  of  the  intellect  life  and  the  feelings  of 
the  soul.  And  inasmuch  as  the  objects  conceived  are 
various,  the  ones  being  perceived  by  the  feelings  as  val- 
uable because  agreeable,  the  others  as  dangerous  because 
disagreeable,  desire  represents  now  a  positive,  now  a 
negative,  striving  of  the  soul ;  that  is,  a  striving  that 
aims  at  the  possession  of  the  object  in  question,  or  aver- 
sion, which  spurns  it.  Desire  is  usually  something  tran- 
sient;  how  rapidly  its  objects  shift  in  the  case  of  the 
child !  But  it  may  assume  a  more  vigorous  form  and 
thus  attain  to  permanency.  The  scale  it  may  possibly 
traverse  is  given  in  the  words :  desire  proper,  inclina- 
tion, propensity,  passion.  Desire  proper  is  an  intensive 
desire  of  the  soul,  since  its  striving  seizes  upon  the  ob- 
ject conceived  with  energy  and  violence.  This  violence 
may  disappear  as  soon  as  desire  has  been  gratified,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  thirsty  person  when  he  has  slaked  his 
thirst.  But  it  may  continue  returning,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  drunkard.  Just  in  consequence  of  repeated  grati- 
fication, the  desire  increases  in  strength,  just  as  the 
repetition  of  one  and  the  same  concept  renders  it  clearer 
and  more  vigorous  (page  228).  Desire  become  habitual 
is  called  "inclination"  (to  be  distinguished  from  native 


262  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

tendencies  toward  anything)  ;  for  the  trend  of  the  soul's 
striving  at  this  stage  always  points  in  a  definite  direc- 
tion. When  inclination  has  attained  to  a  certain  degree 
of  strength  it  has  become  "propensity" ;  for  as  the  tree 
finally  leans  altogether  toward  the  side  to  which  the 
wind  has  permanently  warped  the  branches,  so  even- 
tually the  whole  trend  of  life  turns  to  the  object  toward 
which  one  has  been  drifting  with  increasing  frequency 
and  force.  While  propensity  is  already  virtual  enslave- 
ment, passion  is  a  desire  of  such  strength  that  it  seeks 
gratification  in  a  certain  direction,  no  matter  what  the 
cost;  reason  may  condemn  it;  conscience  may  react 
against  it ;  its  consequences  may  be  ever  so  wretched. 
It  is  true  that  the  terms  "propensity"  and  "passion"  are 
used  also  to  characterize  the  desire  for  the  morally  good ; 
but  this  usage  is  by  no  means  prevalent.  This  is  not 
true  of  the  words  "desire"  and  "inclination" :  these  are 
neutral  and  receive  their  ethical  color  from  the  object 
to  which  they  are  directed. 

If  already  the  impulses  of  the  pupil  occasion  special 
tasks  for  the  teacher  of  religion,  this  is  true  in  an  even 
higher  degree  of  desire  in  its  several  degrees  of  inten- 
sity. He  will  see  to  it  on  his  part  that,  wherever  the 
gratification  of  sensuous  needs  is  in  question  there  is 
an  adjustment  to  the  claims  of  desire,  whereby  not  only 
the  health  of  the  body  is  promoted  but  the  basis  is 
furnished  for  genuinely  child-like  cheerfulness.  But  by 
occasional  admonition  and  his  own  example  he  will 
oppose  desire  when  it  becomes  undiscriminating  and 
insatiable,  and  thus  bring  home  to  the  pupil  the  value 
of  noble  simplicity  and  self-restraint.  He  will  pay  care- 
ful attention  to  the  mutual  intercourse  of  his  pupils, 
lest,  by  the  association  affected  by  them,  by  the  books 


The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction  263 

read  by  them,  by  the  pictures  beheld  by  them,  by  un- 
chastity  and  lewdness  in  words  and  gestures,  the  dor- 
mant sexual  impulse  should  be  prematurely  aroused  or 
sexual  desire,  where  already  awake,  be  fed;  lest  a  ten- 
dency toward  indolence,  toward  a  scattering*  of  energies, 
toward  solitude,  toward  tyranny,  toward  desire  for  gain 
(for  instance,  in  games),  toward  gossip,  toward  pre- 
judice, etc.,  should  take  root.  He  will  direct  the  desire 
especially  toward  goodness  and  godliness ;  and  by  arous- 
ing interest  therein,  produce  and  strengthen  the  desire 
and  striving  to  attain  those.  Aware  of  the  great  power 
of  habit,  the  teacher  will  make  an  effort  to  surround  all 
of  his  instructions  with  holy  exercises,  to  begin  with 
prayer  and  to  close  with  prayer;  to  investigate  the  atti- 
tude of  the  home  toward  prayer;  to  urge  regular  at- 
tendance upon  public  worship;  to  pay  attention  to  the 
exercise  of  charity  in  such  forms  as  are  adapted  to  his 
pupils,  in  order  gradually  to  effect  a  certain  degree  of 
facility  in  well-doing — this  characteristic  of  Christian 
"virtue". 

c.  Higher  in  the  scale  of  striving  than  desire  is 
volition  (in  the  narrower  sense).  It  postulates  not  only 
the  knowledge  of  the  object  desired,  but  also  the  know- 
ledge of  the  ways  and  means  that  lead  to  its  acquisition, 
and,  likewise,  confidence  in  the  adequacy  of  one's  powers 
in  the  premises.  When  the  soul,  on  the  strength  of  such 
knowledge  and  confidence,  resolves  to  appropriate  the 
object  in  question,  it  wills.  Many  a  time,  in  the  misery 
of  exile,  the  picture  of  his  father's  house  with  its  abun- 
dance may  have  appeared  to  the  prodigal's  inner  vision, 
arousing  in  him  the  desire  to  return;  but  there  the  pro- 
cess came  to  an  end.  Not  until  one  day,  when  he  once 
more   vividly  beheld   his   childhood   home,   realizing  its 


264  The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil 

value  with  special  vividness ;  when  he  reflected  upon  the 
way  that  led  to  it  and  conceived  the  words  to  be  spoken 
to  his  father;  when  he  felt  confident  that  his  father 
would  not  thrust  him  out,  and  that  he  was  equal  to  the 
task  proposed;  and  then  decided  to  venture  upon  the 
step  in  question, — not  until  then  can  it  be  said  that  he 
willed. 

Volition,  accordingly,  postulates  the  activity  of  the 
soul  in  the  exercise  of  the  intellect  and  the  emotions 
even  more  sweepingly  than  even  desire :  only  through 
the  vigorous  activity  of  both  does  volition  become  possi- 
ble. Corresponding  to  Kant's  distinction  between  "Ver- 
stand" and  "Vernunft"  in  the  sphere  of  the  intellect 
(cp.  p.  240),  is  the  distinction  made  between  the  in- 
tellectual and  the  rational  volition  of  the  soul.  The 
former  deals  with  what  is  useful  and  expedient,  the  lat- 
ter with  what  is  morally  good  and  pleasing  to  God. 
The  former,  when  a  choice  is  made  or  a  resolution 
passed,  is  determined  by  the  advantage  to  be  gained  or 
the  loss  to  be  avoided;  the  latter  is  determined  by  a 
consideration  of  the  mutual  duties  and  rights  of  men 
and  by  a  reference  to  God  and  His  will — that  is,  by 
moral  and  religious,  or  spiritual,  values. — As  soon  as 
volition  exists,  there  follows  action.  The  activity  of  the 
will  is  inward,  in  that  it  directs  the  attention,  repro- 
duces and  associates  concepts ;  but,  above  all,  in  that, 
through  reflection,  or  voluntary  meditation,  it  controls 
the  current  of  thought.  Its  activity  is  outward  in  that  it 
leads  to  actions ;  for  action  does  not  denote  any  kind  of 
act  or  deed,  least  of  all  something  taking  place  through 
blind  impulse  or  accident,  but  such  action  as  takes  place 
in  consequence  of  reflection  and  appraisal  of  its  value 
(thinking  and  feeling),  and  in  consequence  of  a  resolu- 


The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction  265 

tion  traced  to  both  of  these  (volition),  that  is,  in  perfect 
freedom.  For  inasmuch  as  the  soul  may  decide  in  favor 
of  something  adjudged  as  wrong  by  the  intellect  and  felt 
to  be  worthless  or  even  dangerous  by  the  emotional  fac- 
ulty, it  confesses  that  there  is  really  a  freedom  of  will 
and  action,  and  that  the  voice  of  reason  (intellect)  and 
the  excitation  of  the  feelings,  despite  all  the  influence 
exerted  by  them,  do  not  constitute  coercion,  which  the 
soul  could  not  escape  but  must  obey. 

When  man,  in  moral  and  religious  questions,  con- 
fronts the  same  choice  again  and  again,  only  to  repeat 
his  decision,  such  decision  or,  rather,  the  judgment  con- 
nected therewith,  develops  into  a  maxim,  that  is,  a  moral 
principle — a  moral  rule  of  life.  When  his  decisions  and 
acts  steadily  conform  to  such  maxim,  his  will,  his  con- 
duct, his  whole  personality,  receive  a  corresponding 
stamp.  For  the  reason  that  this  stamp  constitutes  his 
quality  from  a  certain  aspect,  we  call  it  characteristic; 
for  character  (from  xapaWeiv,  to  give  an  edge  or  point, 
to  engrave,  to  stamp)  denotes  that  which  is  stamped. 
When  the  soul  permits  itself  to  be  guided  by  certain 
maxims  not  only  in  one  direction  but  in  all  moral  and 
religious  decisions,  man  has  become  a  character.  While 
this,  in  a  certain  sense,  applies  also  to  one  who  has  be- 
come confirmed  in  wickedness  by  repeated  wrong-do- 
ing, so  that  he  consistently  acts  in  conformity  to  wrong 
principles,  usage  applies  the  term  character  preferably 
to  such  as  act  in  conformity  to  principles  morally  good, 
whether  we  have  in  mind  the  principles  of  natural  or  of 
Christian  ethics. 

If  it  is  agreed  that  moral  conduct  and  the  develop- 
ment of  character  are  possible  only  upon  the  basis  of 
volition,  the  transcendent  importance  of  the  discipline 


266  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

of  the  will  in  education,  especially  religious  education, 
is  readily  seen.  To  find  the  way  to  the  will  of  the  pupil 
and  to  move  it  to  action,  must  be  the  main  object  of 
the  teacher  of  religion  who  has  learned  that  religion  is 
not  an  aggregate  of  doctrines  but  rather  an  actual  con- 
dition, namely,  fellowship  with  God  through  Christ  and 
the  actual  recognition  and  execution  of  the  divine  will 
in  life.  He  cannot  with  too  much  frequency  impress  the 
fact  upon  himself  that  the  will  can  be  touched  only 
through  the  intellect  and  the  feelings ;  that,  accordingly, 
his  aim  must  be  directed,  indeed,  at  the  formation  of  clear 
conceptions  and  the  gain  of  accurate  knowledge,  but  that 
this  process  should  not  take  place  in  a  dead,  formal  man- 
ner, but  be  accompanied  without  intermission  by  the 
participation  of  his  whole  inner  life,  by  warmest  interest, 
by  the  highest  regard  for  the  truths  in  question.  Thus 
the  feelings  of  the  pupil,  agreeably  touched,  will  vibrate 
to  the  teacher's  treatment;  his  interest  in  the  truths 
under  consideration  will  be  aroused;  there  will  result 
a  consciousness  of  the  value  of  such  truths  like  that 
found  in  the  teacher's  own  soul.  When,  moreover, 
through  representatives  of  a  noble  morality  and  the 
teacher's  own  personality,  the  fact  is  brought  home  to 
the  pupil  that  the  moral  good  is  attainable,  and,  like- 
wise, the  way  to  its  attainment  is  shown,  the  result  is 
that  there  will  be  not  a  mere  transient  desire  for  the 
moral  good,  but  also  the  will  for  it;  that  is,  he  actually 
desires  to  perform  it.  However,  if  the  teacher  at  the 
outset  wishes  to  safeguard  himself  against  disheartening 
disappointment,  he  will  reckon  from  the  very  beginning 
with  his  inability  to  force  the  right  decision.  The  will, 
despite  its  close  relation  to  the  intellect  and  the  feel- 
ings, is   notwithstanding  an  independent  factor.     In  a 


The  Inner  Life  of  the  Pupil  267 

state  of  sin  it  is  by  no  means  always  possible  to  arouse 
the  feelings  in  behalf  of  the  good,  in  part  in  consequence 
of  a  reaction  upon  the  feelings  by  the  direction  of  the 
will,  and  even  upon  the  intellect  itself,  in  part  in  conse- 
quence of  a  general  enfeeblement  through  original  sin 
of  these  organs  for  the  performance  of  that  which  is 
good.  For  that  which  is  truly  good  and  pleasing  to 
God,  the  intellect,  the  feelings,  and  the  will,  totally  lack 
receptivity  as  long  as  they  are  in  a  state  of  sin,  its  place 
being  taken  by  a  "propensitas  ad  malum".  And  inso- 
far as  the  old  life  even  projects  itself  into  the  state  of  the 
new  life,  which  is  under  the  influence  of  the  new  birth 
and  of  justification,  the  teacher  of  religion  will  have  to 
reckon  with  the  fact  that  neither  the  intellect  nor  the 
feelings  nor  the  will  always  respond  in  the  manner  de- 
sired and  rightfully  expected  to  that  which  is  good  and 
pleasing  to  God.  However,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  re- 
ceptivity and  responsiveness,  as  a  matter  of  experience, 
are  most  in  evidence  in  earliest  youth,  the  teacher  of  re- 
ligion will  not  only  unwearyingly  endeavor  to  bring- 
sound  influence  to  bear  upon  the  home  from  which  his 
pupil  hails,  but,  likewise,  make  every  effort  to  reach  the 
soul  of  the  pupil.  He  will,  by  corresponding  action,  seek 
to  bring  about  not  only  a  decision  but  also  its  execu- 
tion. The  mutual  intercourse  of  the  children,  their  as- 
sociation with  parents  and  neighbors,  with  teacher  and 
pastor,  constitute  the  sphere  in  which  he  instructs  in 
correct  conduct.  The  latter,  in  turn,  react  upon  the 
power  of  decision.  The  teacher  remembers  just  here  the 
great  importance  of  repetition,  of  the  habitual  exercise 
in  well-doing  and  of  familiarity  with  it,  taking  care, 
by  inculcating  these  things,  that  at  least  the  foundation 
of  a  Christian  character  is  laid. 


2o8  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

Even  this  brief  delineation  of  the  life  of  the  soul 
affords  an  insight  into  its  wealth  and  manysidedness. 

In  spite  of  the  trinity  distinguished  by  us — intellect, 
emotions,  will — the  soul  constitutes  a  unity.  The  same 
soul  knows,  feels,  wills.  The  soul  is  the  subject  whose 
essence  stands  revealed  in  a  three-fold  activity.  It  is 
the  center,  as  it  were,  which  finds  in  the  intellect,  the  emo- 
tions, and  the  will  its  vital  sphere.  It  is  conscious  of  its 
vital  sphere  as  peculiarly  its  own,  clearly  distinct  from 
everything  foreign.  For  this  reason  we  speak  of 
self-consciousness, — the  consciousness  of  the  Ego.  The 
soul  can  distinguish  its  constituent  faculties  from  itself, 
can  place  them  before  its  vision,  and  make  them  ob- 
jects of  research;  but  what  is  thus  objectivized  by  the 
soul  is  always  part  of  itself.  Just  as,  in  the  concept 
of  a  tree,  a  multiplicity  of  concepts  is  fused  into  a 
common  one,  that  is,  a  unity,  even  so  the  soul  fuses  into 
a  unity  its  three  fundamental  faculties,  in  each  of  which 
itself  and  none  other  becomes  active.  We,  therefore, 
speak  of  the  self-conscious  unity  of  the  soul.  And 
inasmuch  as  it  is  conscious  of  its  former  perceptions, 
conceptions,  states,  and  strivings,  as  well  as  those  of  the 
present  and  the  future  as  peculiarly  its  own,  there  stands 
thus  revealed  a  continuity  and  identity  of  the  conscious 
Ego  which  is  altogether  independent  of  organic  changes 
and  other  material  factors.  Thus  the  explanation  of 
the  soul  as  a  mere  manifestation  and  revelation  of  mat- 
ter (the  body,  the  brain,  which  are  subject  to  organic 
changes)  is  rendered  impossible;  and  the  soul  is  dis- 
closed as  an  independent  entity,  neither  occasioned  by 
matter  nor  of  necessity  disappearing  with  its  decay, 
however  little  we  can  assert  in  detail  concerning  its  ulti- 
mate essence. 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  269 

22.     The  Gradual  Unfolding  of  the  Pupil's  Inner  Life. 

Stanley  Hall,  Ausgew.  Beitr.  z.  Kinderpsychologie  u.  Pae- 
dagogik,  gesammelt  v.  Ufer,  1902  (These  essays  were  published 
in  The  Forum,  Scribner's  Magazine,  Pedagogical  Seminary, 
American  Journal  of  Psychology,  etc.). — W.  Preyer,  Die  Seele 
d.  Kindes  (1882),  U908;  English  by  H.  W.  Brown,  1889.— K. 
Groos,  Das  Seelenleben  d.  Kindes,  21908.— CI.  and  M.  Stern, 
Monographien  ueber  d.  seelische  Entwicklung  d.  Kindes,  1907 
ff. — G.  Baeumer  and  L.  Droescher,  Von  d.  Kindesseele,  1908. — 
R.  Gaupp,  Die  Psychologie  d.  Kindes,  31912. — D.  Vorwerk,  Kin- 
derseelenkunde,  21912. — W.  Ament,  Die  Seele  d.  Kindes,  41914. — 
Sigismund,  Kind  u.  Welt,  21897.— B.  Otto,  Beitr.  z.  Psychologie 
d.  Unterrichts,  1903. — K.  R.  Loewe,  Wie  erziehe  u.  belehre  ich 
m.  Kind  bis  z.  6.  Lebensjahr,  2 1904. — R.  Hartmann,  Die  Analyse 
d.  kindl.  Gedankenkreises,  41906. — A.  Schreiber,  Das  Buch  v. 
Kind,  1907.— R.  Goltz,  Das  Buch  der  Kindheit,  51909.— G.  Com- 
payre,  L'Evolution  Intellectuelle  et  Morale  de  1'  Enfant;  part  I 
German  by  Ufer:  Die  Entwicklung  d.  Kinderseele,  1900;  part 
II  English  by  M.  Wilson,  Development  of  the  Child  in  Later 
Infancy,  1914. — F.  Tracy  and  I.  Stimpfel,  Psychology  of  Child- 
hood (1884),  7 1909.— J.  M.  Baldwin,  Mental  Development  in 
the  Child  and  the  Race  (1895),  71911.— Fr.  Froebel,  Pedagogics 
of  the  Kindergarten,  1895. — A.  Kirkpatrick,  Fundamentals  of 
Child-Study,  (1903),  ^1914.— W.  Geo.  Koons,  The  Child's  Re- 
ligious Life,  1903.— Ch.  W.  Rishell,  The  child  as  God's  child, 
1904. — G.  H.  Pease,  An  Outline  of  a  Bible  School  Curriculum, 
(1904),  219C9.— Ant.  Afcern.  Lamoreau,  The  Unfolding  Life,  1907. 
— G.  E.  Dawson,  The  child  and  his  religion,  1909.— E.  P.  St. 
John,  Child  nature  and  child  nurture,  1911. — H.  Bauer,  Die 
Psychologie  d.  Jugendlichen,  1911. — J.  Eger  and  L.  Heitmann, 
Die  Entwicklungsjahre,  bes.  Heft  7:  F.  Mahling,  Die  Psycholo- 
gie d.  Jugendlichen,  1913. — G.  Fuellkrug,  Zur  Seelenkunde  d. 
weibl.  Jugend,  1913.— F.  W.  Foerster,  Jugendlehre  (1904),  55th 
Thousand,  1911.— F.  W.  Forbush,  The  Boy  Problem  (1901), 
7 1913. — John  L.  Alexander,  The  boy  and  the  Sunday  school, 
1910. — W.  Buck,  Boys'  self-governing  clubs. — E.  H.  Hughes,  A 
boy's  religion. — Fr.  W.  Johnson,  Problems  of  boyhood. — W.  B. 
Forbush,  Church  work  with  boys,  1910. — Stanley  Hall,  Adoles- 
cence, its  psychology  and  its  relation  to  physiology,  anthropol- 


270  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

ogy,  sociology,  sex,  crime,  religion,  and  education  (1904),  21911. 
— St.  Hall,  Youth.  Its  education,  regimen  and  hygiene  (19Ü4), 
*1911. — T.  King,  The  High  School  age.— Marg.  Slattery,  The 
girl  in  her  teens. — M.  E.  Moxley,  Girlhood  and  Character,  1916. 

Equally  important  with  the  knowldege  of  the  inner 
life  of  his  pupil  for  the  catechist  is  the  knowledge  of 
it  gradual  unfolding.  Otherwise  he  would  run  the  risk 
of  according  him  at  an  earlier  stage  of  his  development 
such  treatment  as  might  be  warranted  only  by  a  later 
one.  When  the  child  comes  into  the  world  it  is  indeed 
a.  perfect  human  being,  requiring  nothing  from  the  out- 
side to  complete  its  organism  at  a  later  day;  but  such  a 
child  is  an  altogether  undeveloped  human  being.  All 
possibilities  and  powers  of  the  grown  man  or  of  the 
fully  developed  woman  are  found  in  the  child;  but  only 
germinally  and  potentially,  a  development  of  from 
eighteen  to  twenty-one  years  being  needed,  at  times  even 
a  longer  period,  until  the  human  organism,  which  has 
come  into  the  world  at  birth,  shall  have  found  full  de- 
velopment. The  observation  of  this  gradual  develop- 
ment is  one  of  the  most  interesting  studies.  Three  stages 
are  distinguished:  1.  Early  and  later  infancy,  which 
extends  from  the  first  to  the  sixth  year;  2.  The  child- 
hood stage,  which  extends  from  the  sixth  to  the  twelfth 
or  thirteenth  year,  and  which  is  divided  into  two  sec- 
tions (six  to  nine  and  nine  to  twelve)  ;  3.  Early  and  later 
adolescence,  extending  from  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth 
year  to  the  period  of  full  development.  Although  these 
several  stages  are  not  clearly  marked,  the  subsequent  pe- 
riod being  overlapped  in  the  case  of  the  one  or  the 
other  child  by  a  year  or  so,  there  is  no  doubt  whatever 
about  their  existence  as  such,  and  the  fact  that,  gener- 
ally, they  correspond  to  the  age  given. 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  271 

1.  Early  and  later  infancy.  The  most  interesting 
of  these  stages  and  one  that  hitherto  has  been  more  thor- 
oughly explored  than  the  others,  is  early  and  later  in- 
fancy. However,  inasmuch  as  the  child  at  this  stage  of 
life  becomes  a  subject  of  instruction  to  a  rather  limited 
degree,  our  reference  to  it  at  this  place  must  be  con- 
fined to  essentials. 

a.  When  the  child  comes  into  the  world,  it  is  sud- 
denly surrounded  by  it  as  by  a  gigantic  chaos,  full  of 
light  and  sound — "a  big,  blooming,  buzzing  confusion", 
to  use  the  expression  of  William  James.  A  number  of 
stimuli  enter  upon  the  soul  from  the  outside  world,  act- 
ing upon  the  perceptive  faculty  in  such 'a  manner  as  to 
call  forth  all  sorts  of  sensations.  Not  until  these  take 
place,  do  the  operations  of  the  intellectual  life  begin. 
While  sense  impressions  are  at  first  indistinct  and  un- 
defined, they  during  the  first  year  already,  enlarge  into 
clear  cognitions  (the  look  of  the  child  is  fixed  upon  the 
shining  watch,  from  which  a  stimulus  has  proceeded;  it 
follows  a  light  carried  before  it).  Hand  in  hand  with 
these  perceptions  go  the  first  beginnings  of  concepts 
and  the  reproduction  of  such  concepts  (it  connects  the 
sound  tictac,  repeatedly  pronounced  by  the  father  in 
view  of  the  watch,  held  before  it  at  the  same  time  the 
sound  is  uttered,  so  that  eventually,  when  the  sound  tic- 
tac is  uttered,  the  watch  is  conceived  and  pointed  out). 
Synchronous  with  the  first  conceptions  are  the  begin- 
nings of  attention  and  thinking  (pp.  236;  240).  Even 
linguistic  development  generally  sets  in  as  early  as  the 
first  year,  in  that  the  child  begins  to  exercise  its  organs 
of  speech  by  forming  all  kinds  of  sounds,  with  which, 
however,  it  connects  no  meaning  as  yet  (tata).  The 
feelings  of  the  child  are  at  first  altogether  of  a  sensuous 


272  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

character;  for  instance,  hunger  and  cold  arouse  a  feel- 
ing of  displeasure,  while  gratification  of  the  appetite 
and  warmth  arouse  its  opposite  (page  243).  Still,  to- 
ward the  end  of  the  first  year  of  life  faint  beginnings  of 
higher  feelings  appear:  delight  in  color,  fear  of  stran- 
gers and  unaccustomed  sounds,  love  for  the  mother. 
Volition  is  expressed  at  first  only  in  the  form  of  im- 
pulses, especially  those  of  nutrition  and  motion;  but  as 
soon  as  perceptions,  conceptions,  and  the  reproduction 
of  these  begin  to  show  themselves,  there  is  also  con-. 
scious  desire  (the  child  catches  at  the  milk-bottle,  and 
cries  when  it  is  withheld). 

b.  A  large  step  in  a  forward  development  is  taken 
by  the  child  when,  in  the  second  year,  it  begins  to  walk 
and  to  talk.  In  consequence  of  its  ability  and  skill  in 
walking,  it  not  only  conquers  its  helplessness  more  and 
more,  but  also  obtains  the  necessary  space,  constantly 
enlarging,  for  new  observations,  experiences,  and  ac- 
tivities. The  impulse  of  motion,  already  in  existence  and 
evidence,  now  comes  into  its  own ;  the  power  inherent  in 
the  child,  later  to  be  utilized  in  mental  effort,  now 
presses  outward  in  the  sphere  of  bodily  life  with  such 
energy  that  restlessness  becomes  fairly  characteristic  of 
it.  Closely  connected  with  the  progress  of  bodily  de- 
velopment is  a  significant  unfolding  of  the  mental  life, 
first  of  all  of  the  intellect.  The  organs  of  sense,  espe- 
cially eyes  and  ears,  now  hungrily  stretch  out  toward 
all  attractions  of  the  new  and  exceedingly  interesting 
outer  world,  communicating  them  as  wide-open  canals 
to  the  nervous  system  and  thereby  to  the  brain,  which, 
impressionable  like  delicate  clay,  receives  and  transmits 
them  to  the  soul.  The  construction  of  the  inner  world 
sets  in,  which  will  be  as  poor  or  as  rich  as  the  sense  im- 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  273 

pressions  working  upon  the  soul  from  without.  This 
inner  world,  strongly  influenced  by  the  imitative  im- 
pulse and  hereditary  factors,  in  a  steadily  increasing 
degree,  finds  expression  in  language.  Presently  also 
memory  develops :  the  brain  cells,  exceedingly  receptive 
during  childhood,  retain  the  impressions  received;  and 
as  soon  as  the  soul  acts  upon  them,  they  become  alive 
and  the  images  formed  in  the  past  appear  to  the  child 
anew.  If  the  first  impressions  are  made  at  a  time  when 
the  brain  is  not  weary  and  the  child  is  attentive;  if  the 
point  to  be  brought  to  the  child's  attention  is  made  clear 
and  impressive;  if,  in  addition  to  the  ear,  also  the  eye 
(picture-book  with  verses),  or  some  other  organ,  is 
employed;  if  the  new  is  coupled  with  something  already 
known  and  repeated  one  time  after  another,  memory 
will  prove  quite  faithful  already  from  the  third  year. 
The  phantasy  of  the  child  is  based  upon  memory.  This 
faculty  awakens  in  the  third,  more  generally  in  the 
fourth,  year,  at  once  to  unfold  to  vigorous  life.  That 
is  the  reason  that  the  child  is  not  only  fond  of  hearing 
tales  at  this  age,  but  also  constructs  a  wondrous  world 
of  its  own  out  of  the  concepts  in  the  soul ;  gives,  when 
at  play,  new  shape  to  old  forms,  and  tries  its  power  in 
the  first  attempts  at  drawing.  In  consequence  of  ima- 
ginative concepts,  akin  to  phantasy,  the  child  often  enter- 
tains fear  where  there  is  no  occasion  for  it.  As  yet 
reasoning  is  overshadowed  by  the  sense  perceptions  and 
the  play  of  phantasy,  which  are  far  remote  from  exact 
logic.  Notwithstanding  it  asserts  itself  toward  the  end 
of  this  period  in  numerous  childlike  investigations  and 
experiments,  and  especially  in  innumerable  questions  in 
regard  to  the  "what",  "wherefore",  "whereto". — As  far 
as  the  emotions  in  this  period,  from  the  second  to  the 


274  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

sixth  year,  are  concerned,  the  sensuous  feelings  which 
were  thoroughly  dominant  during  the  first  year  of  life, 
remain  in  the  foreground  also  during  the  period  in  ques- 
tion. However,  the  intellectual  emotions  gradually  un- 
fold, and  even  the  first  promptings  of  the  sense  of  honor, 
of  moral,  religious  and  social  feelings  become  manifest. 
But  this  is  the  case  only  when  education  does  its  part; 
for,  left  to  itself,  the  little  human  being  circles  only 
about  self.  This  is  the  case  instinctively  before  it  learns 
to  distinguish  itself  from  the  beings  around  it;  this  is 
the  case  consciously,  after,  with  the  third  or  fourth  year 
of  life,  it  has  attained  to  self-consciousness. — Also  in 
the  sphere  of  volition  the  sensuous  preponderates.  How- 
ever, with  the  nobler  emotional  promptings  already  men- 
tioned, there  begin  to  be  coupled  higher  aims.  The  imi- 
tative impulse,  which  is  quite  strong  in  the  child  in  this 
period,  may  prove  of  particular  importance,  for  the  rea- 
son that,  by  its  aid,  the  first  habits  are  formed,  which  are 
of  vast  consequence  for  the  whole  life  afterward. 

Whether  and  how  the  soul  life  of  the  child  can  be 
wrought  upon  at  this  stage  is  a  question  to  which  diver- 
gent answers  have  been  given.  As  far  as  we  are  con- 
cerned, finding  our  views  rather  confirmed  than  invali- 
dated by  the  later  psychology,  we  are  certain  that  the 
mother  may  exert  pre-natal  influence  upon  her  child, 
in  that  the  mental  and  spiritual  atmosphere  in  which 
she  moves  during  the  period  of  gestation  does  not  leave 
the  child  without  a  trace.  Quite  unmistakable  is  such 
influence  in  the  first  year.  If  that  is  the  case  with  the 
unbaptized  child,  the  fact  is  even  more  pronounced  when 
the  child  is  baptized.  The  Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in  the 
child  has  access  to  all  the  functions  of  the  soul ;  and  the 
influence    from   without,    if   proper,    merely   meets   the 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  275 

craving  of  the  soul  of  the  baptized  child.  Of  course, 
such  operation  upon  the  child  soul  cannot  proceed  in 
the  form  of  command  and  precept,  which  should  be  of 
rare  occurrence  even  between  the  fourth  and  the  sixth 
year.  The  chief  factor  is  the  moral  and  religious  char- 
acter of  the  environment — the  moral  and  religious  at- 
mosphere in  which  the  child  grows  up.  From  it  pro- 
ceeds upon  the  slowly  unfolding  child  soul  an  influence 
silent  and  gentle  as  dew  from  heaven,  but  equally  effec- 
tive. The  organs  of  sense  stretch  forth  in  violent  hun- 
ger toward  the  attractions  brought  to  bear  upon  it  from 
without,  evincing  the  same  hospitality  for  evil  or  mor- 
ally neutral  forces  as  for  wholesome  ones,  if  the  former 
are  a  factor  of  their  environment.  And  whatever  has 
once  been  received  is  retained — bound  to  exert  its  power 
soon  or  late.  In  this  period  the  memory  of  the  child 
asserts  itself.  Therefore  the  parents  cannot  watch  too 
carefully  over  their  gestures,  words,  and  acts,  yea,  over 
the  whole  spirit  ruling  in  the  house.  Cheerful  fellow- 
ship, coupled  with  faithful  performance  of  duty  and 
consecrated  by  prayer,  uttered  devoutly  and  in  uni- 
son, cannot  but  leave  its  traces  in  the  soul  of  the  little 
one.  As  early  as  the  third  year  the  child,  by  the  aid  of 
pictures,  can  be  impressed  with  the  fact  of  the  perma- 
nent presence  of  God,  whereby  the  strongest  foundation 
is  laid  for  the  moral  and  religious  life.  Of  great  help 
in  the  premises  will  be  the  appeal  to  the  imitative  im- 
pulse. Seeing  the  parents  stand  in  the  presence  of  God 
and  speak  with  Him  as  one  living  and  present,  the  child 
will  fold  its  hands  of  itself  for  the  purpose  of  likewise 
speaking  with  Him  and  addressing  to  Him  its  requests. 
While  this  is  not  as  yet  a  conscious  evangelical  and  sav- 
ing faith,  it  is  the  very  relation  to  God  that  corresponds 


276  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

to  the  present  stage  of  the  child's  development,  and 
unquestionably  of  great  moment  for  its  subsequent  life. 
If,  then,  the  parents  adjust  themselves  to  the  child's 
phantasy  from  the  fourth  to  the  sixth  year  of  its  life ;  if, 
like  Luther,  in  the  case  of  little  Hans,  they  limn  upon 
its  phantasy  a  cheehy  picture  of  the  garden  of  heaven; 
or  if  they  exhibit  to  the  child  the  heavenly  Father's  care 
for  all  His  children  by  the  aid  of  stories  taken  from  the 
Bible  or  every-day  life,  provided  that  these  are  adapted 
to  the  intellectual  stage  of  the  children;  if  they  tell  it 
on  the  occasion  of  radiant  spring  of  His  goodness,  on 
the  occasion  of  the  first  thunderstorm  that  affrights  it, 
of  His  omnipotence,  etc.,  the  child's  experience  of  God 
is  bound  to  be  widened  and  invigorated.  Instead  of 
suppressing  the  desire  to  ask  questions,  parents  will 
welcome  it  with  gratitude,  not  only  because  such  ques- 
tions connote  the  fledging  of  the  intellectual  wings,  but 
also  because  an  opportunity  is  presented  of  directing 
the  child  to  God  and  His  doings.  As  a  case  in  point,  the 
questions  in  regard  to  the  vernal  quickening  of  nature 
may  be  made  the  starting-point  for  an  account  of  crea- 
tion consonant  with  the  understanding  of  the  child ;  the 
question  in  regard  to  the  picture  of  the  Crucified  on  the 
wall,  the  starting-point  for  a  similar  account  of  Jesus 
the  Savior.  In  view  of  the  power  of  the  child's  mem- 
ory, such  account  might  be  coupled  with  a  rhyme  or  a 
hymn  stanza,  which  are  surer  of  retention  when  occa- 
sionally sung  with  the  child. 

Especially  the  importance  of  the  emotional  life  of 
the  child  should  be  recognized  by  the  parents.  Being 
shut  up  to  the  stimulation  of  the  emotions  as  the  only 
way  to  the  will  of  the  child  and  its  purposeful  assertion, 
they  will  take  pains  to  bring  proper  influence  to  bear 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  277 

upon  the  feelings  of  the  little  ones.  This,  however,  is 
accomplished  not  so  much  through  precept  and  admoni- 
tion as  through  suggestion;  for  the  intellectual  life  of 
the  child  is  inadequate  to  the  former,  and  whatever  is 
achieved  thereby  rarely  becomes  a  permanent  trait  of 
character,  but  passes  away  as  soon  as  the  child  has  been 
removed  beyond  the  sway  of  coercion.  An  exclamation 
of  horror  on  the  parents'  part;  undisguised,  unsimu- 
lated  heart-ache  in  view  of  it;  vivid  joy  in  view  of  the 
good — these  attitudes,  repeatedly  displayed,  will  pro- 
duce also  in  the  child  displeasure  over  evil  and  plea- 
sure over  right,  which,  in  turn,  will  act  upon  the  will 
and  stir  it  to  action.  Only  by  way  of  exception  will  such 
feeling  in  the  child  require  support  through  threats  and 
promises,  through  penalties  and  rewards.  If  the  child 
has  been  made  conscious  of  the  permanent  presence,  of 
God  to  such  an  extent  that  its  soul  is  filled  with  living 
trust  in  Him  as  well  as  with  admiration  and  awe,  the 
most  effective  means  have  been  employed  for  an  ini- 
tial recognition  of  sin  and  the  quickening  of  the  moral 
and  religious  feelings.  When,  however,  the  feelings 
have  been  stirred,  an  opportunity  must  be  afforded  to 
exercise  them  by  action,  or  they  would  better  have  re- 
mained undeveloped.  For  instance,  when  parental,  sym- 
pathy for  the  grief  of  others  or  experience  of  help  in  its 
own  grief  has  kindled  sympathy  for  the  grief  of  others 
in  the  naturally  selfish  child  heart,  the  child  must  be  led 
and  encouraged  upon  the  way  on  which  it  can  render  aid 
to  one  in  trouble,  though  no  other  expression  of  sym- 
pathy should  be  possible  to  it  than  the  offering  of  a 
flower.  The  greater  the  regularity  with  which  all  this 
is  done  the  more  habitual  such  action  will  become,  to  be 
performed  finally  as  a  matter  of  course.  There  is  nothing 


278  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

that  compares  from  childhood  on  in  importance  with  the 
formation  of  good  habits. — Inasmuch  as  this  part  of 
education,  pertaining  altogether  to  the  pre-scholastic  pe- 
riod, is,  for  that  reason,  a  domestic  requirement,  the 
teacher  of  religion  will  employ  every  means  at  his  dis- 
posal to  instruct  the  home  in  regard  to  its  duty  in  the 
matter  of  education  and  unintermittently  insist  upon  its 
performance. 

2.  Childhood.  The  entrance  of  the  child  upon 
the  stage  of  boyhood  or  girlhood,  which  takes  place 
about  the  sixth  year,  is  outwardly  not  so  clearly  marked 
as  the  transition  from  earlier  (first  year)  to  later  in- 
fancy (second  to  sixth  year).  In  appearance  it  is  more 
like  a  continuation  of  infancy  than  something  new.  Yet 
unmistakable  signs  of  a  new  period  are  not  wanting. 
Physically,  the  change  of  teeth  takes  place  at  this  time ; 
and  nerves  develop  with  greater  rapidity ;  the  brain  has 
about  reached  its  final  size.  Mentally  the  child  has 
made  such  progress  that  it  can  effectively  participate 
in  instruction.  The  fundamental  period  for  the  absorp- 
tion of  knowledge  begins.  With  attendance  upon  school 
a  new  world  is  entered  by  it,  which  not  only  unconscious- 
ly forms  and  moulds  it,  but  which  can  and  should  be 
dominated  by  the  child  through  an  independent  asser- 
tion of  the  intellect.  The  period  as  a  whole  is  likewise 
divided  into  two  parts  (from  the  sixth  to  the  ninth  and 
from  the  ninth  to  the  twelfth  year),  which  we  desire  to 
discuss  separately. 

a.  Bodily,  the  restlessness  of  the  child  has  not  been 
conquered  when,  with  the  sixth  year,  it  begins  to  go  to 
school :  sitting  still  will  be  so  difficult  that  it  should  not 
be  expected  for  a  considerable  period.  But  inasmuch  as 
the   striving  after  activity   no  longer  finds   vent   in   an 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  279 

aimless  moving  from  place  to  place  as  it  did  in  the  period 
preceding,  but  connects  itself  naturally  with  definite  ob- 
jects, the  curriculum  can  be  made  to  conform  to  its  ne- 
cessities through  an  arrangement  according  to  which  the 
impartation  of  knowledge  is  limited  to  brief  periods, 
which  should  not  exceed  thirty  minutes  each,  to  be  fol- 
lowed, moreover,  by  frequent  periods  of  technical  in- 
struction (writing,  singing,  drawing,  handwork)  and  in- 
terspersed with  numerous  intermissions.  Brief  periods 
of  instruction  and  a  frequent  change  of  subject  matter 
are  required  for  this  period,  and  the  first  year  of  school 
in  particular,  also  by  the  mental  development  of  the 
child ;  for  its  nervous  and  mental  powers  are  still  easily 
fatigued,  and  interest  and  attention  readily  flag.  Sensa- 
tion, perception,  and  intuition  are  the  dominating  factors 
of  the  intellect.  The  child  of  six  lacks  understanding 
for  book  drill  almost  altogether,  and  even  the  child  of 
nine  cannot  appreciate  abstractions.  While  the  desire 
to  ask  questions  is  rather  on  the  increase,  answers  must 
receive  concrete  formulation  and  keep  the  child  in  the 
peculiar  sphere  of  its  own  functions  and  concepts  if 
intellectual  reaction  is  to  be  expected.  The  child  wants 
to  see,  to  behold.  If  it  cannot  see  with  the  bodily  eye — 
nine-tenths  of  our  concepts  are  based  upon  sensuous 
perceptions  and  intuitions — ,  it  desires  to  see  with  the 
mental  eye  whatever  is  put  before  its  mind  with  the 
pencil  of  the  word  in  intelligible,  concrete  forms.  Who- 
ever, therefore,  wants  to  give  successful  instruction  in 
the  period  under  consideration  must  be  a  master  in 
story-telling.  And  inasmuch  as  the  children  usually 
have  rather  fragmentary  concepts  of  the  objects  and 
conditions  of  their  immediate  environment,  and  their 
range  of  expressions  is  quite  limited,  not  to  forget  the 


280  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

fact  that  a  child  is  likely  to  connect  a  different  meaning 
with  certain  words  from  that  attached  to  them  by  the 
adult,  they  fail  to  be  benefited  even  by  the  talent  of 
story-telling  unless  their  verbal  range  and  sphere  of 
concepts  have  first  been  thoroughly  investigated,  and 
inaccurate  and  fragmentary  concepts  have  been 
raised  to  the  level  of  accuracy,  clearness,  and  complete- 
ness. The  faithfulness  with  which  this  duty  is  per- 
formed is  the  measure  of  the  tractableness  of  the  child; 
for  the  treasure  of  concepts  thus  acquired  becomes  a 
key  with  which  the  child  unlocks  the  new  more  and 
more  (p.  234  f.). 

The  requirement  for  a  method  of  instruction  based 
not  upon  abstractions  but  upon  plain,  animated  narra- 
tives, is  supported  by  the  observation  that,  next  to  the 
capacity  and  desire  for  visualizing  objects,  there  is  no 
other  factor  of  the  intellect  that  is  so  active  as  the  phan- 
tasy, not,  it  is  true,  the  abstracting  but  the  constructing 
phantasy.  Vigorous  and  eager,  the  phantasy  stretches 
forth  to  the  concrete,  in  order  to  shape  it  at  will  and  com- 
bine it  into  forms  of  flesh  and  blood.  The  lifeless  doll 
becomes  a  living  friend,  with  whom  the  child  holds 
speech  and  intercourse,  and  which  it  subjects  to  trans- 
mutations ever  new.  Play  would  hardly  maintain  its 
attractions  for  this  period  were  it  not  for  the  rich  field 
opened  to  the  phantasy  in  addition  to  giving  vent  to  the 
call  of  the  child's  nature  for  action.  Now  the  time  has 
come  when  the  phantasy  is  no  longer  restricted  to  home 
and  present :  it  leaps  over  the  barrier  of  time  and  dis- 
tance, transports  itself  into  past  eras  and  remote  regions, 
even  though  it  arrays  the  persons  there  in  the 
concept  material  of  home .  and  present.  But  what- 
ever   the     world     to    which    phantasy     transports     it- 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  281 

self,  the  favorite  object  with  which  it  deals  is  the  liv- 
ing personality,  which,  for  that  reason,  becomes  an  ob- 
ject of  imitation.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  imitative  im- 
pulse of  the  child  in  this  period  is  closely  connected  with 
the  pronounced  play  of  its  phantasy,  a  connection  which 
calls  for  a  renewal  of  the  demand  to  act  upon  the  child's 
intellect  in  this  period  by  nothing  so  much  as  by  nar- 
ration. Whatever  is  put  before  the  soul  and  fed  to  the 
phantasy  one  time  after  another  in  the  shape  of  living 
personalities,  does  not  pass  through  the  soul  without 
leaving  a  trace  of  itself :  it  is  engraved  upon  it,  especially 
in  this,  the  formative,  period  of  the  brain.  The  feelings 
being  touched,  appeal  is  thus  made  to  the  will  for  imi- 
tation, which  is  prompted  to  become  like  the  exemplar  to 
whom  the  soul  is  indebted  for  such  delightful  experi- 
ence. 

The  emotions,  as  a  whole,  are  still  occupied  with 
themselves  in  this  period.  Unselfish  friendships  are 
seldom  formed,  but  if  they  are,  they  are  suddenly  broken 
off  when  the  splendor  of  one's  own  personality  is  ob- 
scured by  the  friend.  But  through  a  purposeful  cul- 
tivation of  the  phantasy  which  causes  the  child  to  vis- 
ualize the  grief  of  others  so  clearly  as  if  it  had  actually 
been  beheld,  an  even  better  prospect  than  in  later  infancy 
is  secured  of  arousing  the  sympathetic  emotions  and  of 
acting  upon  the  will  through  them.  What  has  been  said 
about  the  formation  of  habits  is  a  greater  factor  in 
the  sphere  of  volition  during  the  childhood  stage  than 
during  the  period  preceding  the  sixth  year.  Finally  it 
must  be  added  that  memory,  though  still  weak  at  the 
age  of  six,  from  now  on  rapidly  grows  in  strength.  In 
this  period,  however,  it  does  not  rise  to  its  full  height, 
and  therefore  material  to  be  literallv  memorized  should 


282  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

be  restricted  to  a  modicum,  and  even  this  should  not  be 
demanded  from  the  child  before  the  teacher  has  cast 
light  upon  it  by  means  of  illustration  and  thus  enabled 
it  to  gain  at  least  a  rudimentary  understanding. 

The  conclusions  to  be  drawn  from  these  facts  by 
the  teacher  of  religion  are  self-evident.  He  may  not 
excuse  himself  from  becoming  thoroughly  conversant 
with  the  range  of  the  concepts  and  words  commanded 
by  the  child  that  has  begun  to  take  instruction  under 
him.  Proceeding  from  the  existing  material  of  know- 
ledge he  will  correct  where  correction  is  needed,  and 
slowly  and  gradually  enrich  his  pupil's  mind.  Intuitive 
instruction  on  the  basis  of  biblical  pictures  will  prove  of 
great  help  in  the  premises,  provided  the  teacher  pays  at- 
tention to  his  language,  avoids  all  abstractions  and 
lengthy  sentences,  ascertains  again  and  again  whether 
he  be  understood,  trains  the  children  in  independent 
thinking,  and,  likewise,  in  rendering  the  material  mas- 
tered in  the  form  of  simple  sentences.  Above  all,  as 
soon  as  a  sufficient  range  of  words  and  a  small  amount 
of  clear  and  distinct  concepts  shall  have  been  found,  he 
will  pay  special  attention  to  narration.  To  make  the 
story  as  simple  as  possible  and,  at  the  same  time,  as  con- 
crete and,  thereby,  as  intuitional  as  possible,  will  be  con- 
sidered by  him  as  his  chief  object.  Following  the  exam- 
ple of  the  miniature  painter,  he  will  limn  most  carefully 
individual  features,  thus  securing  life-likeness  for  the 
whole :  this  is  what  the  child  craves ;  and  only  thus 
does  clear  intuition  become  possible.  On  the  other  hand, 
his  devotion  to  minutiae  will  not  cause  him  to  forget  the 
necessity  of  stressing  the  distinctive  features  of  the 
picture  as  a  whole,  in  order  to  bring  into  clear  relief  ra- 
ther than  obliterate  whatever  elements  the  new  narra- 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  283 

tive  possesses  in  distinction  from  those  previously  told, 
no  matter  how  much  of  its  contents  may  overlap  with 
those  of  the  stones  previously  heard.  Already  at  this 
stage  the  teacher  will  not  be  satisfied  with  depicting 
external  processes  and  their  connection,  but  rather  in- 
troduce the  child  into  the  hidden  thoughts  and  motives 
of  the  actors,  in  order  to  put  in  motion  the  thinking  pro- 
cesses that  have  been  awakened.  But  just  as  the  narra- 
tive selected  should  be  a  simple  unit,  not  a  conglome- 
rate fused  from  several  stories,  so  he  will  confine  him- 
self in  his  presentation  of  the  underlying  truth  to  the 
main  feature,  compensating  the  children  for  the  loss  of 
less  important  truths  by  the  full  elaboration  of  the  main 
one.  Extensive  application  does  more  harm  at  this 
stage  than  good.  However,  it  is  desirable  to  compress 
the  truth  discovered  into  some  precious  passage  or 
verse.  The  growing  power  of  memory  will  suggest  to 
the  teacher  not  only  the  permissibility  but  also  the  effec- 
tiveness of  repeating  such  passages  and  verses  with  the 
little  ones  in  unison;  at  the  same  time  he  will  refrain 
from  foisting  upon  the  child's  memory  any  material 
upon  which  no  proper  light  has  been  shed  by  preceding 
instruction.  Stanley  Hall  says :  "Of  all  the  things  that 
a  teacher  should  know  how  to  do,  the  most  important, 
without  any  exception,  is  to  know  how  to  tell  a  story". 
It  is  not  probable  that  a  story,  well  and  repeatedly  told, 
can  remain  without  influence  upon  the  soul  of  the  child ; 
it  will  rather  have  the  tendency  and,  to  some  extent, 
the  power  to  change  it,  transmitting  it  into  the  likeness 
of  the  persons  of  the  story  (compare  Hawthorne's 
"Great  Stone  Face").  How  much  more  is  this  bound 
to  be  true  of  the  Bible  stories,  especially  of  the  stories  of 
Jesus,  and  with  children  being  baptized ;  compare  2  Cor. 


284  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

3,  18.  Such  effect  will  be  proportioned  to  the  success 
with  which  the  teacher  works,  upon  the  emotions  of  the' 
child.  That  the  stories  of  the  Bible  have  a  claim  upon 
the  child  in  the  period  under  consideration,  although  the 
start  may  have  been  made  with  stories  from  current 
life,  is  a  fact  suggested  by  the  power  of  the  child's 
phantasy,  which  is  able  in  those  years,  as  we  have  seen, 
to  transport  itself  into  distant  times  and  scenes. — The 
stimulation  of  the  sympathetic  emotions  the  teacher  of 
religion  will  not  fail  to  overlook.  The  will  thus  being 
influenced,  opportunity  for  putting  it  into  action  must 
likewise  be  vouchsafed.  This,  for  instance,  is  the  stage 
when  interest  in  missions  should  be  aroused  and  prac- 
tically manifested. — In  regard  to  discipline,  the  teacher 
will  not  forget,  in  spite  of  the  necessity  for  the  incul- 
cation of  order — so  important  for  the  later  periods  of 
life — that  quiet  and  silence  are  still  extremely  difficult 
for  the  child.  Wherever  mendacity  manifests  itself, 
he  will  proceed  against  it  with  great  earnestness,  al- 
though he  should  be  aware  of  the  fact  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  incorrect  concepts  of  the  imagination  still 
found  in  these  years,  not  every  objective  untruth  is 
necessarily  a  lie  and  deserving  to  be  treated  as  such. 

b.  The  time  between  the  ninth  and  the  twelfth  or 
thirteenth  year  forms  the  second  period  of  adolescence 
in  both  boyhood  and  girlhood.  Bodily  development 
usually  progresses  rather  slowly  during  these  years.  In- 
crease of  stature  and  weight,  compared  with  the  rapid 
development  preceding  and  following,  takes  place  so 
slowly  as  to  make  it  appear  that  progress,  if  not  ar- 
rested, is  at  least  retarded.  The  growth  of  the  brain, 
likewise,  is  quite  inconsiderable.  Only  the  connective 
tissue  and,  perhaps,  the  nerves  exhibit  vigorous  growth. 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  285 

It  seems  as  if  nature  is  gathering  strength  for  the  sweep- 
ing changes  of  the  subsequent  period.  Such  accumula- 
tion of  a  store  of  energy  and  force  is  probably  the  cause 
of  the  noisy  movements  characteristic  of  boys  of  this 
age,  and  of  their  fondness  for  scuffling.  For  the  same 
reason  they  probably  prefer  at  this  time  physical  to 
mental  labor. 

As  regards  the  mental  life  of  the  children,  the  ab- 
sorption of  things  and  concepts  approaching  them 
from  without  still  occupies  the  foreground.  However, 
the  soul  is  not  only  capable  of  copious  absorption,  but 
also  of  a  more  thorough  and  accurate  examination  of  the 
things  absorbed — a  step  of  progress  which,  in  turn, 
results  in  a  great  improvement  of  the  intuition.  The 
organs  of  sense  have  not  only  become  more  delicate  and 
discriminating,  but  the  mental  possessions  acquired  also 
prove  an  efficient  key  to  the  apprehension  of  the  new 
and  its  co-ordination  with  the  old  (p.  234  f.).  The 
multitude  of  the  impressions  and  concepts  of  which  the 
soul  at  this  time  is  capable,  provided  they  are  presented 
to  it  with  concrete  vividness,  is  surprising.  Even  more 
surprising,  perhaps,  is  the  ability  to  retain  them.  Be- 
tween the  eleventh  and  the  twelfth  year  memory  devel- 
ops its  greatest  strength  and  maintains  its  high  level  for 
several  years  afterward.  This,  of  course,  must  not  be 
understood  to  mean  that  the  child  at  this  age  learns  more 
easily  and  rapidly  than  the  adult,  who  has  other  and 
stronger  aids  at  his  disposal,  especially  the  power  of 
logical  association.  Notwithstanding,  the  memory  of 
the  child  is  more  faithful  and  accurate  than  that  of  the 
adult.  Its  brain  cells  are  still  soft,  so  that  impressions 
are  deeper  than  those  of  the  adult,  whose  brain  cells 
permit  only  feeble  impressions.    For  the  literal  memori- 


286  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

zing  of  material  of  importance  for  the  whole  life,  the 
space  of  time  between  the  eleventh  and  the  twelfth  year 
represents  ''the  golden  period".  Foreign  languages,  if 
they  are  really  to  be  mastered,  are  most  readily  and  ac- 
curately acquired  down  to  the  end  of  the  fourteenth 
year.  The  measure  of  the  growth  of  attention,  interest, 
and  reasoning  in  these  years  is  the  measure  of  the 
achievements  of  memory,  which  become  possible 
through  the  fusion  of  bodily  and  mental  processes.  Ex- 
perience and  experiments  in  regard  to  the  powers  of 
memory  have  shown  that  it  is  more  profitable  to  rest 
a  while  between  repetitions  than  to  repeat  the  subject, 
say,  eight  times  in  succession;  and,  likewise,  to  pause 
after  the  memorizing  of  one  subject  than  at  once  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  memorizing  of  another.  The  inner  processes 
connected  with  memorizing  manifest  a  tendency  toward 
persistence.  Account  must  be  taken  of  these  if  the  ma- 
terial memorized  is  to  be  retained.  If  they  are  dis- 
turbed by  new  impressions,  memory  is  bound  to  suffer, 
for  the  reason  that  the  new  impressions  interfere  with 
what  has  just  been  learned  in  proportion  to  the  atten- 
tion accompanying  the  subsequent  activity  of  the  mind. 
The  phantasy  continues  very  active  at  the  age  under 
consideration,  requiring  food  and  cultivation;  but  as 
experience  and  judgment  attain  to  greater  maturity, 
fondness  for  the  impossible  is  stripped  off  more  and 
more.  Accordingly  it  is  the  exception  when  the  tale 
still  possesses  fascination  for  the  soul,  whose  tendrils 
now  reach  out  after  realities.  But  wherever  realities 
are  placed  before  it,  especially  in  geography  and  history, 
the  phantasy,  wherever  the  aid  of  charts  and  pictures  is 
afforded,  builds  for  itself  a  rather  correct  image  of  dis- 
tant scenes  and  times,  especially  if  it  be  stirred  by  vivid 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  287 

descriptions.  Also  at  this  stage  of  development  the  child 
requires  concrete  descriptions;  but  these  should  tally 
with  the  reality,  time,  place,  and  sequence  of  events  be- 
ing accurately  given.  While  the  phantasy  and  history 
stand  correlated,  it  is  the  personal,  biographical  element 
in  history  that  attracts  most.  No  interest  is  shown  as  yet 
in  internal  and  external  institutions,  in  forms  of  organi- 
zation and  in  laws,  except  through  vital  connection  with 
great  men  and  women.  The  history  of  a  whole  nation, 
likewise,  is  imparted  to  children  of  this  age  only  through 
the  introduction  of  representative  heroes.  This  is  the 
stage  of  hero  worship.  The  stronger  and  bolder,  the 
more  clever  and  daring  these  heroes  show  themselves 
to  be,  the  sooner  they  will  be  sure  of  the  interest  of  the 
children,  especially  of  the  boys.  Wherever  there  is 
fondness  for  reading  at  this  age,  preference  is  given  to 
hero  stories  both  bad  and  good.— The  thinking  activity 
is  marked  by  decided  progress  during  these  years.  In 
the  same  measure  in  which  the  child  becomes  able  to  ob- 
serve the  objects  of  the  external  world  with  greater  ac- 
curacy, and  to  distinguish  the  essential  from  the  un- 
essential and  accidental,  it  learns  to  co-ordinate  the  es- 
sential marks  and  to  form  conceptions,  to  affirm  judg- 
ments, and  to  draw  conclusions.  Already,  though  hesi- 
tatingly, questions  in  regard  to  the  connection  of  things 
are  asked.  Although  such  questions,  at  first,  refer  only 
to  objects  of  the  nearest  environment,  for  instance,  a 
toy  or  watch,  which  the  boy  inclines  to  take  apart  in 
order  to  acquaint  himself  with  the  mechanism  that  ren- 
ders such  marvels  possible,  and  to  natural  phenomena, 
which  lie  before  his  eyes  like  baffling  riddles,  the  mere 
sequence  of  events  both  in  the  human  life  and  in  history 
will  presently  cease  to  satisfy  him.     The  cause  is  that 


288  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  reason  of  the  child  has  begun  to  inquire  in  regard  to 
cause  and  effect.  What  is  wanted  is  not  necessarily  a 
scientific  proof;  a  reasonable  explanation,  if  it  is  only 
plausible,  is  taken  upon  authority.  Not  seldom  such 
initial  activity  of  the  young  critical  mind  invades  the 
religious  sphere. — From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  evident 
that  there  is  a  strengthening  in  these  years  of  the  in- 
tellectual feelings.  The  esthetic  feelings,  too,  under 
proper  guidance,  awake  at  this  time ;  the  ethical  ones  as- 
sume a  more  definite  form  in  view  of  the  part  played 
by  conscience  where  the  development  has  been  normal, 
although  suggestion  and  a  living  example  on  the  part 
of  adults  are  still  the  more  powerful  factors.  God, 
especially  by  boys,  is  felt  as  Law  and  Power ;  but  He 
can  be  experienced  also  as  holy  love,  especially  by  the 
baptized  child,  so  that  the  latter  does  not  only  view  God 
with  awe  but  surrenders  to  Him  with  all  the  power  of 
its  youthful  emotions.  The  social  feelings  are  now 
quickened  as  never  before.  Hence  this  is  the  period  for 
the  formation  of  friendships :  there  is  a  consorting  with 
others  of  the  same  age,  disposition,  and  condition  in  life. 
"The  bonfire  with  its  circle  of  kindred  spirits,  the  cave 
with  its  passports  and  dark  plottings,  the  street  cor- 
ner and  recruiting  whistle  have  almost  irresistible  fas- 
cination." Even  the  girls  have  their  own  clubs.  While 
truth  and  loyalty  are  observed  toward  those  of  the 
inner  circle,  the  child,  at  this  age,  has  a  morality  of  its 
own  toward  those  outside.  Self-esteem  and  the  sense 
of  honor  are  seen  to  develop.  The  world  of  the  -emo- 
tions as  a  whole  is  not  subject  as  yet  to  powerful 
changes.  Especially  the  persistence  of  sad  moods,  such 
as  lasting  remorse,  must  not  be  expected  yet  at  this 
stage:  a  joyful  disposition  will  break  through  again  and 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  289 

again. — Of  the  greatest  significance  for  this  period, 
finally,  is  the  contracting  of  good  habits.  While  the 
conditions  therefor  have  existed  in  the  previous  period 
already,  they  are  now  most  favorable — more  so  than 
they  will  ever  be  again.  The  thoughts  that  are  enter- 
tained again  and  again ;  frequently  recurrent  emotions ; 
volitional  resolutions  repeatedly  formed ;  the  moral  acts 
thus  resulting — all  these  leave  in  the  soul  impressions  or 
rills,  as  it  were,  into  which  its  subsequent  activity  pours 
itself  of  its  own  accord,  so  to  speak,  so  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult for  the  child  to  think,  feel,  and  will  in  any  other 
direction,  but  that,  on  the  other  hand,  it  appears  a  mat- 
ter of  course  to  pursue  the  old  direction.  Therefore,  if 
the  good,  the  noble,  the  true;  if  God  and  His  will,  at 
this  time,  determine  the  direction  of  the  soul,  the  result 
will  be  that,  in  normal  circumstances,  special  reflection 
and  a  special  conflict  can  be  dispensed  with  in  the  per- 
formance of  this  or  that  good  act.  To  act  in  a  given 
way  has  become  the  second  nature  of  the  soul. 

This  is  the  time  when  also  the  difference  of  sex  be- 
comes more  clearly  established.  The  girl  usually  has 
a  more  delicate  constitution  than  the  boy,  both  of  body 
and  soul,  requiring  for  this  reason  a  more  delicate  treat- 
ment. The  boy  is  more  awkward  of  movement,  more 
abrupt,  impetuous,  inclined  toward  bodily  exercise  and 
horseplay ;  the  girl,  in  spite  of  her  celerity  of  movement, 
is  more  graceful  and  symmetrical,  gentler  and  more 
retiring  of  disposition.  Mentally  the  girl,  as  a  rule,  is 
swifter  and  more  agile,  but  less  thorough  and  accurate 
than  the  boy.  Among  the  emotions  of  the  boy  the  sense 
of  fairness  and  self-esteem  preponderates ;  likewise  in- 
terest in  things  intellectual,  great,  sublime,  heroic; 
while,  in  point  of  sympathy,  of  the  sense  for  the  beauti- 


290  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

ful,  lovely,  proper,  and,  likewise,  from  the  standpoint  of 
good  recitation,  diction,  and  handwriting,  the  girl  is 
superior  to  the  boy.  The  boy  expects  from  his  teacher 
justice — a  quality  which  endures  his  respect,  while  the 
girl  looks  for  kindly  treatment.  The  will  of  the  boy  is 
distinguished  from  that  of  the  girl  by  resoluteness  and 
force,  with  stubbornness,  impetuousness  and  lack  of 
consideration  as  the  weaknesses  to  which  it  is  prone ; 
while  the  girl  is  more  tender-hearted,  patient,  and 
tractable  than  the  boy,  inclining,  however,  more  than 
her  brother,  to  sensitiveness  and  vanity. — Also  the  in- 
dividuality of  the  pupil,  which  distinguishes  him  from 
his  companions  despite  a  general  sameness,  becomes 
more  clearly  established  during  these  years.  It  is  found 
in  the  intellect  and  emotions  as  well  as  the  will,  in  that 
now  this  now  that  manifestation  of  the  threefold  life 
of  the  soul  betrays  greater  force.  Invariably  to  study 
and  consider  the  pupil's  individuality,  is  nothing  more 
than  what  equity  and  justice  toward  him  require. 

All  these  facts  require  consideration  upon  the  part 
of  the  teacher  of  religion.  What  has  been  said  con- 
cerning bodily  development  will  prevent  him  from  ad- 
judging as  wilful  opposition  to  good  order  and  discip- 
line the  noise  and  din  he  has  to  endure  from  pupils  of 
this  age.  While  he  will  endeavor  to  keep  the  desire  for 
scuffling  in  bounds,  he  will  in  no  wise  suppress  it,  for 
fear  of  choking  the  germs  of  promptings  that,  later, 
might  prove  of  eminent  value.  "If  you  crush  the  fight- 
ing instinct,  you  get  the  coward ;  if  you  let  it  grow  wild, 
you  have  the  bully ;  if  you  train  it,  you  have  the  strong, 
self-controlled  man  of  will."  The  great  capacity  of  the 
pupil  for  copiously  absorbing  impressions  and  concepts, 
and    to    retain    them    by    the    power    of    his    memory. 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  291 

suggests  for  the  teacher  the  right  and  duty  to  treat  these 
years  as  the  great  period  of  learning  also  from  the  re- 
ligious aspect.  He  will  direct  the  memorizing  of  Scrip- 
ture passages,  hymn  stanzas,  and  sections  of  the  Cate- 
chism ;  but  never,  be  it  understood,  without  having  shed 
the  proper  light  upon  them  through  previous  instruc- 
tion or,  at  least,  the  explanation  of  the  verbal  meaning. 
The  former  particularly  proves  of  value  for  the  purpose 
of  memorizing,  irrespective  of  other  advantages,  since  it 
has  the  effect  of  arousing  interest  in  the  material  to  be 
committed  and  of  making  association  an  aid  to  ap- 
propriation. He  will  show  the  child  how  to  memorize 
effectively,  namely,  by  analyzing  the  composite  whole 
into  sections  suggested  by  their  respective  contents, 
and  by  the  observation  of  pauses  in  order  to  give  the 
impressions  received  time  to  settle,  before  the  brain  is 
assailed  anew.  The  phantasy  he  will  make  ancillary  to  in- 
struction by  making  the  pupil  visualize  concrete  and 
plastic  forms  from  the  history  of  the  Bible,  of  the 
Church,  and  of  missions,  and  by  adjusting  himself  to 
the  pupil's  craving  for  reality  by  the  diligent  use  of 
biblical  and  other  charts  and  every  sort  of  available 
pictorial  representation.  He  wTill  not  deem  it  a  loss  of 
time  to  dwell  for  a  rather  long  time  upon  some  heroic 
personages  and  to  pursue  their  development  from  birth 
to  death.  The  short  narrative,  at  this  stage,  is  not 
imperative  any  more.  The  better  the  child  can  pursue 
the  development  of  the  hero  as  a  whole,  especially  the 
years  of  his  youth,  the  better  it  is  enabled  to  lose  itself 
in  the  life  of  the  hero,  to  enter  into  his  experiences,  to 
feel  sympathy  with  him.  "The  ideal  association"  with 
the  hero  whose  life  is  studied  thus  sets  in.  The  devel- 
opment of  the  thinking  faculty  now  permits  or,  rather, 


292  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

prompts  the  teacher  to  enter  with  his  pupil  into  the  in- 
ner motives,  the  impelling  powers  of  such  a  life;  to  ex- 
hibit the  relation  between  disposition  and  action,  and 
thereby  to  set  forth  the  laws  of  the  moral  and  religious 
life,  whereby  moral  judgments  become  possible,  and 
the  desire  and  courage  are  aroused  in  the  pupil  to  apply 
these  to  his  own  life.  For  the  teacher  has  no  choice  in 
regard  to  the  matter: — he  must  make  the  application 
to  the  life  of  the  pupil  and  thus  exert  a  moulding  in- 
fluence upon  it,  although  the  application  made  by  Jiim 
or  by  the  pupil  himself  at  his  direction  should  never  be 
dragged  in  but  rather  suggest  itself  as  incidental  to 
the  subject  matter  and  its  treatment  by  the  teacher, 
thus  impressing  itself  upon  the  pupil  from  inner  neces- 
sity. If  the  teacher  has  really  touched  the  pupil's  feel- 
ings and  the  will,  so  that  the  latter  has  decided  upon 
the  deed,  the  former  must  make  the  further  effort  to 
bring  about  the  deed  and  to  make  its  performance  habi- 
tual. The  life  at  home,  at  school,  in  the  congregation, 
among  the  neighbors,  should  be  set  forth  as  the  sphere 
of  religious  activity.  Veneration  for  age,  respect  for 
the  powers  that  be,  obedience,  conciliatoriness,  and  self- 
control,  sympathy  with  others,  helpfulness,  self-denial, 
devotion  to  sacrifice,  consecration  before  the  eyes  of  the 
omniscient  and  omnipresent  One,  prayer  to  the  great 
heavenly  friend,  all  these  attitudes  must  become  matters 
of  habit,  now  more  than  ever  they  were  before.  The 
practise  of  church-going  must  now  begin.  Salutary 
even  before  this  age,  there  is  now  a  particular  reason 
for  it  to  become  regular.  While  the  children  are  not 
likely  to  understand  the  sermon  as  a  whole,  they  will 
understand  individual  sections  of  it.  To  this  factor  must 
be  added  the  sight  of  the  congregation  at  worship,  the 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  293 

solemn  liturgy,  the  power  of  song,  and  the  impressions 
gained  from  the  pictures  that  may  belong  to  the  equip- 
ment of  the  church.  All  this  is  calculated  to  leave  im- 
pressions in  the  soul.  The  teacher  will  appeal  to  the 
thinking  faculty  of  the  pupil  also  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  him  tasks  that  compel  thought;  of  training  him 
to  form  important  religious  and  moral  conceptions, 
conclusions,  and  judgments,  always,  be  it  remembered, 
upon  the  basis  of  the  intuition,  inasmuch  as  the  pupil 
otherwise  would  have  no  access  to  conceptions  and  ab- 
stractions. Let  the  teacher  of  religion  show  a  sympa- 
thetic attitude  toward  the  critical  questions  of  a  religious 
character  which,  at  this  age,  will  occasionally  be  pro- 
pounded to  him.  Such  questions,  as  a  rule,  arise  from 
a  rather  anthropomorphical  view  of  God  and  of  the 
invisible  realities  in  general.  Still  better,  let  him  anti- 
cipate them  by  taking  the  initiative  in  stripping  off  such 
anthropomorphic  features  from  the  pupil's  views  of 
God  and  heaven,  making  it  plain  to  him  that  God  is 
a  Spirit;  that  heaven  is  complete  union  with  God;  and 
that  things  corporeal  and,  therefore,  the  objects  of  space 
and  time  are  only  pictures  and  symbols  of  invisible 
realities,  of  which  men  cannot  speak  save  in  material 
terms.  But  if  such  critical  questions  show  doubt  in  re- 
gard to  these  spiritual  realities  themselves,  the  example 
of  the  teacher,  whose  bearing  should  impart  vivid  im- 
pressions of  the  happiness  that  is  his  through  fellow- 
ship with  God,  is  a  better  argument  against  such  in- 
choate skepticism  than  an  appeal  to  the  limited  know- 
ledge and  experience  on  the  part  of  the  pupil.  It  may 
be  stated  as  a  general  truth  that  living  models  and  ex- 
amples are  bound  to  show  itself  as  an  exceedingly  effec- 
tive educational  factor.    For  this  reason  the  teacher  will 


294  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

keep  an  eye  upon  the  friendships  bound  to  be  formed 
at  this  stage.  He  will  never  weary  of  exhorting  the  fam- 
ily not  only  to  be  vigilant  in  the  premises,  but  also,  by 
the  sweetening  of  the  home  life  and  by  the  occasional 
invitation  of  congenial  persons,  to  contribute  as  much  as 
possible  to  the  gratification  of  the  social  feelings.  Where 
the  desire  to  read  makes  itself  manifest  during  this 
period,  the  teacher  will  give  counsel  in  the  selection  of 
appropriate  literature.  Finally,  when  bereavement  has 
entered  the  home  or  there  has  been  lapse  into  sin,  the 
teacher  will  not  conclude  that  the  child  is  guilty  of  fri- 
volousness  or  a  lack  of  feeling  when  it  is  presently  re- 
stored to  happiness :  what  he  sees  is  in  keeping  with  the 
child's  nature.  And  although  it  is  surely  true  that  a 
child  can  be  aroused  to  true  repentance  of  sin  and  an 
unqualified  surrender  to  Jesus  Christ  at  this  stage  of 
its  life,  the  teacher  of  religion  will  take  care  not  to 
apply  the  same  measure  to  these  processes  in  the  child 
soul  which  he  is  wont  to  apply  to  them  in  the  soul  of  the 
adult.  He  would  only  be  guilty  of  injustice  or  mislead 
to  perilous  hypocrisy. 

3.  The  age  of  adolescence.  With  the  thirteenth 
year,  the  girl ;  with  the  fourteenth,  the  boy,  enters  upon 
the  age  of  youth.  In  the  case  of  the  girl,  this  period  ex- 
tends to  the  twentieth  or  twenty-first  year  of  life,  com- 
prising the  whole  process  of  development  from  girl- 
hood to  womanhood.  In  the  case  of  the  male,  this  pe- 
riod involves  the  whole  time  of  development  from  boy- 
hood to  manhood.  The  bare  facts  connote  that  this  is 
the  period  of  the  most  revolutionary  changes,  whose  sig- 
nificance Stanley  Hall,  pioneer  among  its  observers, 
does  not  appraise  too  highly  when  he  characterizes  them 
boldly  as  a  new  birth.     There  is  a  new  birth   of  the 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  295 

body  and  of  the  mind,  the  one  conditioning-  the  other. 
More  fundamental  than  ever  is  the  bodily 
change  now  taking  place.  The  body,  usually  shooting 
up  with  rapidity,  grows  in  height  and  breadth ;  the 
bones  become  stronger  and  finally  are  joined  more  firm- 
ly ;  the  limbs  lengthen,  especially  hands  and  feet,  as- 
suming dimensions  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  rest 
of  the  body ;  the  heart  increases  its  size  one  fifth  and, 
in  some  cases,  even  more;  blood  pressure  attains  to  its 
maximum ;  respiration  becomes  one-third  slower  and, 
in  consequence,  more  intensive.  While  the  brain  has  in 
general  attained  its  final  size,  certain  centers  in  the 
cerebral  membrane  (meninx)  do  not  begin  to  work 
until  now;  the  tissue  involved  becomes  denser  and  pro- 
motes a  slow  growth  of  the  cranium.  The  most  im- 
portant change,  however,  is  the  advent  of  sexual  matur- 
ity. The  sexual  organs  assume  their  final  form ;  in  the 
male  there  begins  the  occasional  emission  of  semen,  in 
the  female,  menstruation  and,  in  connection  therewith, 
the  development  of  the  breast;  in  both,  the  appearance 
of  hair  at  places  hitherto  bare,  and  the  change  of  voice. 
The  change  is  more  conspicuous  in  the  female,  being 
often  accompanied  by  violent  pain;  but  even  in  the 
male  it  may  proceed  amid  far-reaching  constitutional 
disturbances  that  may  effect  the  whole  organism.  Both 
sexes  may  suffer  from  anaemia,  because  the  development 
of  lungs,  liver,  kidneys,  and  the  muscular  system,  the 
entering  of  the  sexual  organs  upon  their  functions,  and 
an  increased  activity  of  the  central  nervous  system  re- 
quire a  greater  supply  of  blood.  The  disturbance  of  the 
organism  may,  in  the  case  of  both,  go  to  the  length  of 
producing  a  suspension  of  consciousness — an  evil  which, 
in  the  form  of  hebephrenia,  may  lead  to  temporary  de- 


296  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

mentia  or  prepare  the  way  for  a  complete  shattering  of 
the  nerves  and  ultimate  insanity.  But  even  where  this 
change  takes  place  with  absolute  smoothness,  it  brings 
about  a  situation  altogether  new. 

Hand  in  hand  with  this  physical  change  goes  the 
mental,  which  is  largely  based  upon  the  former.  The 
vigorous  development  of  the  muscles  and  the  whole 
body,  calls  forth,  especially  in  the  maturing  male,  a 
sensation  of  strength,  as  soon  as  the  limbs  have  gained 
their  ultimate  proportions  and  he  has  ceased  to  fall 
over' his  own  feet.  Pityingly  he  looks  upon  the  child- 
hood stage,  which  he  has  hardly  left  behind,  and  fancies 
that  he  is  already  a  man,  who  has  reached  the  height  of 
his  power  and  knows  of  no  obstacle  that  he  is  not  able 
to  conquer.  This  feeling  of  strength  and  the  urge  of 
his  restless  blood  account  for  his  clownishness  and  turn 
him  into  a  daredevil  for  whom  no  venture  requiring 
strength  and  courage  is  too  great.  Having  become  a 
man,  as  he  thinks,  he  means  to  be  independent,  to  be 
free  from  all  dictation  save  his  own,  at  least  to  raise 
a  mustache,  to  smoke,  to  drink,  perhaps  to  gamble  and 
to  curse  just  like  a  man.  If  the  youth  is  prevented  from 
indulging  his  whims,  he  is  likely  to  think  his  monitor 
the  foe  of  all  true  development.  The  passion  for  lib- 
erty may  assume  a  revolutionary  form  and  array  itself 
in  opposition  to  every  authority  and  barrier.  If  the 
social  conditions  are  such  that  the  male  youth  -can  earn 
money  for  himself,  the  feeling  of  independence  may 
assume  the  most  repugnant  forms  and  easily  lead  to  a 
break  with  the  parental  home.  But  when  the  young  man 
is  made  to  experience  the  limits  ofc  his  strength  and 
power,  he  may  not  only  seek  to  replenish  them  by  un- 
bridled  eating   and   an   inordinate   indulgence   in   sleep. 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  297 

but  his  self-reliance  and  independence  may  suddenly 
change  into  sheer  despair  and  dejection — a  condition 
in  which  he  needs  nothing  so  much  as  a  real  man  or  an 
understanding  mother  heart  that  may  inspire  him  with 
courage  once  more. — Quite  similar  is  the  development  of 
the  female,  with  the  exception  that  it  assumes  a  differ- 
ent form.  To  the  boy  clown  corresponds  the  girl  clown 
with  her  perpetual  giggling  and  saucy  conversation. 
Instead  of  muscular  exercises,  she  effects  games  re- 
quiring agility  and  speed  of  movement.  In  point  of 
self-consciousness,  which  acts  as  incentive  not  only  to 
dress  and  deport  herself  like  a  mature  woman  but  to  de- 
sire recognition  as  such,  the  girl  of  this  age  is  likely  in 
no  wise  to  remain  behind  her  brother. 

Incidental  to  a  change  of  the  cerebral  membrane 
and,  perhaps,  in  some  measure  occasioned  by  it,  there 
is  a  prevailing  inclination  during  these  years  of  devel- 
opment toward  logical  thinking.  This  fact,  together 
with  the  work  done  in  the  secondary  schools,  especially 
where  there  is  no  insistence  upon  a  thorough  compre- 
hension of  the  problems  under  consideration,  those  of 
the  natural  sciences  in  particular,  and  together  with 
an  aimless  and  desultory  consumption  of  all  sorts  of 
questionable  or,  in  any  case,  insipid,  literature;  or,  pos- 
sibly, the  mere  fact  that  school  has  been  outgrown,  ex- 
plains the  phenomenon,  that  youth,  despite  its  lack  of 
real  knowledge  and  adequate  experience,  lays  claim  to 
the  knowledge  of  everything  and,  usually,  to  a  know- 
ledge superior  to  that  possessed  by  adults,  deeming  it- 
self warranted  and  invited  to  criticize  even  the  views  of 
parents  and  teachers.  Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  and  by  no 
means  merely  when  some  special  case  has  pointed  the  les- 
son, the  young  often  deeply  feel  their  immaturity  and  in- 


298  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

ll  --<  V 
adequacy  of  knowledge,  sometimes  the  most  keenly  when 
they  attempt  to  disguise  these  failings  through  a  bom- 
bastic attitude,  loudness  of  voice,  the  unintelligent  use 
of  axioms,  appeal  to  authorities — with  all  their  vaunted 
independence  they  are  fond  of  quoting  authorities — , 
and,  if  need  be,  the  use  of  the  fist.  All  that  is  needed  is 
the  advent  among  them  of  a  person  of  thorough  know- 
ledge, who,  while  acknowledging  their  eagerness  to 
learn  and  utilizing  their  own  thinking  apparatus,  leads 
them  to  mature  knowledge.  When  he  arrives  he  is 
their  man,  especially  should  he  impart  a  type  of  know- 
ledge which  possesses  practical  importance  for  the  daily 
life  or  at  least  for  the  daily  environment.  This  applies 
with  double  force  to  the  rural  youth,  so  often  devoid  of 
mental  initiative,  incapable,  save  by  slow  degrees,  of  be- 
ing trained  to  formulate  independent  thoughts  and  ques- 
tions, and  withal  very  bashful  in  view  of  the  authority 
of  pastor  and  teacher. 

The  most  important  feature  of  the  inner  life  of  the 
young,  however,  stands  connected  with  the  development 
of  puberty.  All  at  once  the  soul  is  aware  of  new  stir- 
rings and  powers  coming  to  the  fore  in  its  organism 
which,  hitherto,  have  been  altogether  unknown  and  mys- 
terious. The  element  of  mystery,  exercising  a  powerful 
attraction,  brings  the  soul  under  its  spell.  The  im- 
pulse to  penetrate  the  mystery  and  to  learn  something 
reliable  concerning  its  origin  and  functions  is  awake. 
The  soul  begins  to  presage  the  truth ;  it  begins  to  under- 
stand itself  from  the  aspect  of  species ;  the  relation  to 
the  other  sex  undergoes  a  change ;  the  former  ease  in  the 
presence  of  the  other  sex  is  a  matter  of  the  past ;  the  at- 
traction of  the  one  for  the  other  makes  itself  felt — soon- 
er with  the  girl,  however,  than  with  the  boy,  who,  if 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  299 

morally  healthy,  will  feel  toward  the  girl  something  very 
much  akin  to  contempt,  which  he  is  not  slow  to  exhibit. 
At  times,  genuine  youthful  love  awakens,  here  and  there 
also  enthusiastic  affection  for  persons  far  older  than 
"himself.  The  soul  begins  to  occupy  itself  with  the  fu- 
ture, apparently  teeming  with  possibilities.  The  phantasy, 
probably  in  connection  with  the  changes  in  the  brain 
above  mentioned,  stirs  its  wings  in  an  unheard-of  man- 
ner, and  paints  the  future  in  glowing  colors.  The  soul 
becomes  a  dreamer.  There  is  a  heightened  understand- 
ing for  poetry ;  the  desire  to  read  is  in  evidence.  Nothing 
attracts  the  girl  more  than  the  love  story,  while  the 
boy  yields  to  its  fascination  more  tardily  except  when 
an  all-conquering  hero  is  the  central  feature  of  the  plot. 
What  appeals  to  him  is  not  so  much  sentiment  as  a  man 
of  daring,  courage,  heroism.  When  the  soul  comes  in 
contact  with  the  good,  noble,  great,  it  reaches  out  after 
it  with  longing,  provided  it  is  uncorrupt;  ideals  are 
formed  which  it  means  to  realize,  not  doubting  that  such 
achievement  is  within  the  range  of  its  knowledge  and 
power.  Nor  is  the  soul  invariably  thoughtful  of  itself 
alone:  the  social  feelings  begin  to  exert  their  power; 
the  desire  is  felt  to  help,  correct,  reform  the  world.  But 
if  during  this  period,  the  soul  falls  into  the  hands  of 
wicked  friends ;  if  it  feeds  upon  precocious  and  salacious 
literature,  it  may  be  set  on  fire  in  behalf  of  what  is  ques- 
tionable, low,  destructive.  Often  the  two  lie  side  by 
side ;  for  youth  is  a  child  of  the  moment,  prone  to 
harbor  contradictions.  After  the  manner  of  spring,  it 
makes  progress  by  contrasts,  not  necessarily  religious 
and  moral,  but  temperamental.  Now  leaping  skyward 
for  joy,  then  grieving  to  death;  now  excess  of  enthu- 
siasm, then  of  despondency  to  the  point  of  despair;  now 


300  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  delight  over  hearth  and  home,  then  the  yearning  for 
the  horizon  and  "Weltschmerz" — grief  for  the  world's 
grief;  now  light-hearted  candor  and  frankness,  then 
somber  reserve  and  desire  for  solitude — such  contrasts 
as  these,  largely  in  response  to  physical  development, 
often  supersede  each  other  in  rapid  sequence.  Still  an- 
other factor  merits  consideration  in  this  connection: 
the  sexual  impulse,  which  by  this  time  is  fully  aroused, 
in  case  of  a  lapse  into  sin,  assumes  the  role  of  a  tyrant ; 
but  the  soul  is  aware  or  has  at  least  a  presentiment  of 
the  fact,  that  there  dare  be  no  yielding,  not  even  in  the 
form  of  masturbation.  Thus  a  conflict  is  occasioned  be- 
tween soul  and  body,  which  pervades  the  whole  human 
organism.  While  this  tug-of-war  is  in  progress,  one 
phenomenon  in  particular  is  in  evidence :  conceptions  such 
as  conscience,  God  and  the  divine  sanctions,  self-preser- 
vation, responsibility,  likewise  sin  and  grace  receive  a 
new  or,  at  least,  a  deeper  meaning,  so  that  the  soul  strives 
for  nothing  as  much  as  for  power.  Where  that  is  not 
found,  or  where  the  soul  has  been  so  bestialized  that  it 
never  even  enters  upon  the  conflict,  it  may  yield  in  help- 
less abandon  to  the  exactions  of  desire,  presently  to 
stand  at  the  brink  of  despair  or  to  go  down  in  it  alto- 
gether. From  this  point  of  view — and  from  others  pre- 
viously mentioned — it  is  not  remarkable  that  moral  self- 
decision,  genuine  conversion  or,  at  least,  a  deepening  of 
the  inner  life  is  experienced  in  connection  with  the 
transition  from  adolescence  to  puberty,  and  at  this  st?ge 
mostly  in  the  sixteenth  or  seventeenth  year;  just  as.  on 
the  other  hand,  these  very  years  chronicle  the  beginning 
of  the  downward  tendency.  We  are  concerned  with  a 
crisis  of  the  most  transcendent  importance,  from  which 
man  comes  forth  bodily,  mentally,  and  sometimes  even 


The  Gradual  Unfolding  301 

spiritually,  as  one  born  anew,  so  that  often  the  parents 
themselves  find  occasion  to  marvel  at  the  change  under- 
gone by  their  child, — a  crisis  in  which  also  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  frequently  wont  to  operate  upon  the  soul. — The 
difference  between  the  young  man  and  the  young  woman 
is  found  principally  in  this,  that  in  the  latter  the  emo- 
tions rather  than  reason  and  will  develop  into  the  domi- 
nant force,  a  difference  which  is  bound  to  remain,  many 
foolish  currents  in  the  woman  movement  which  appear 
to  set  in  the  opposite  direction  notwithstanding. 

Whoever  would  attempt  to  be  a  leader  of  youth  thus 
constituted  in  things  moral  and  religious,  must  be  ready 
at  the  outset  to  leave  the  rights  of  youth  uncircum- 
scribed,  and  to  make  due  account  of  them  in  all  educa- 
tional measures.  Whoever  would  treat  the  young  as 
if  they  were  devoid  of  power  and  full  only  of  weakness, 
in  short,  as  children,  will  see  them  turn  away  from  him 
with  inward  repugnance.  Whoever  would  keep  them 
in  bounds  by  a  formal  appeal  to  authority  may  experi- 
ence a  revolt  at  their  hands.  Whoever  lacks  acquaint- 
ance with  their  problems  and  needs  or  the  requisite 
knowledge  or  meekness  to  occupy  himself  with  these 
will  find  their  hearts  closed  against  himself  from  the 
beginning.  Whoever  would  train  them  as  recluses  or 
anchorites  will  never  behold  their  eyes  lighting  up  with 
responsive  gleams;  for  joy  and  mirth  is  youth's  heri- 
tage. Whoever  would  make  out  as  sin  what  is  not  sin 
will  find  unwilling  ears,  even  though  he  rightly  take 
exception,  intending  to  invigorate  the  conscience.  Who- 
ever would  play  the  role  of  a  doctrinaire  will  cause  the 
young  ennui ;  and  ennui  is  youth's  mortal  foe.  Whoever, 
finally,  has  flattened  religion  to  a  matter  of  mere  forms 
will  see  the  young  turn  their  backs  upon  him,  because 


302  The  Subject  of  Religious  Instruction 

youth  is  hungry  for  life  or  because  such  a  religion  ac- 
cording to  its  judgment  is  untruth,  and  the  innate  sense 
of  truth  in  the  young  revolts  against  it.  On  the  other 
hand,  whoever  recognizes  the  right  of  the  young  to  a 
development  in  power,  standing  by  their  side  in  times 
of  helplessness  and  despondence  as  a  trusting  friend, 
will  win  their  confidence  and  become  a  pillar  to  be 
clasped  by  the  tendrils  of  their  trust.  Whoever  refrains 
from  looking  down  with  contempt  upon  such  knowledge 
as  the  young  possess,  but  gratifies  their  thinking  faculty 
by  the  imposition  of  worthy  tasks,  thus  supplying  it 
with  incentives  to  effort ;  whoever  is  not  afraid  to  learn 
with  the  young  and  does  not  endeavor  to  cover  an  oc- 
casional gap  in  his  information  with  empty  words  or, 
still  worse,  with  pious  phrases ;  whoever  meets  their 
misgivings  and  doubts  with  sympathy,  thereupon  to 
conquer  them  with  real  arguments  step  by  step ;  who- 
ever impresses  the  young  that  he  is  religious,  not  be- 
cause he  has  remained  unacquainted  with  the  world, 
with  men,  with  the  heroes  of  the  spirit,  with  literature 
and  modern  problems ;  but,  having  acquired  knowledge 
of  them — thorough  knowledge,  having  digested  them,  has 
remained  religious  notwithstanding, — he  is  their  man: 
to  him  they  will  open  ear  and  heart.  He  who  in  reality 
is  a  Christian  character,  a  well-spring  of  power  and 
life,  open  to  the  world  and  yet  fettered  to  Christ,  he 
alone  can  be  a  guide  to  youth,  which  soars  high  one 
moment  only  to  sink  into  the  slough  of  despond  the  next. 
A  protector  of  youth's  freedom,  he  yet  constrains  them 
to  follow  him.  Sure  to  disclose  Christ  to  them  as  Sa- 
vior; he  will  yet  stress  the  fact  that  this  Savior  is  a 
hero  of  strength,  to  whom  one  can  look  up  as  an  exem- 
plar and  from  whom  power  proceeds  to  conform  to  the 


The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction  303 

model.  Such  a  teacher  will  meet  the  social  impulse  of 
the  young  and  act  as  organizer  in  their  behalf,  remem- 
bering, however,  that  there  is  a  gap  in  their  develop- 
ment, in  the  sixteenth  year  in  the  case  of  the  girls,  in  the 
seventeenth  or  eighteenth  in  the  case  of  the  boys,  the 
bridging  of  which  means  the  coming  to  the  fore,  more 
conspicuously  than  hitherto,  of  the  principle  of  spon- 
taneity and  independence.  Moreover,  he  will  remind 
himself  that  any  organization  will  collapse  from  inner 
weakness  unless  opportunity,  coupled  with  leadership, 
be  afforded  for  action. 


IIL  The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious 
Instruction 

23.     The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction. 

K.  Buchnicker,  Grundlinien  der  kirchl.  Katechetik,  1889,  pp. 
64 — 115.— Fr.  Zange,  Evangelischer  Religionsunterricht,  1897,  pp. 
1— 46.— E.  Sachsse,  Die  Lehre  v.  d.  kirchl.  Erziehung,  1897,  pp. 
301— 328.— J.  Bauer,  Das  Ziel  der  kirchl.  Erziehung  (Kateche- 
tische Zeitschrift),  1898.— A.  Eckert,  Der  erziehende  Religions- 
unterricht in  Schule  u.  Kirche,  1889,  pp.  1—29.— F.  M.  Schiele, 
Gedanken  ueber  die  Lehrbarkeit  der  Religion  (Monatsschrift 
fuer  kirchl.  Praxis),  1901.— H.  v.  Soden,  Laesst  sich  Religion 
lehren?  (Katechet.  Zeitschrift),  1901.— O.  Baumgarten,  Neue 
Bahnen,  1903,  pp.  48—50  and  81— 84.— M.  v.  Nathusius,  Das 
Ziel  des  kirchl.  Unterrichts,  1903.— A.  Bonus,  Vom  Kulturwert 
der  deutschen  Schule,-  1904.— J.  Gottschick,  Homiletik  u.  Kate- 
chetik, 1908.  pp.  110— 115.— J.  Berndt,  Methodik  des  Unterrichts 
i.  d.  ev.  Religion,  1909,  pp.  15— 35.— R.  Kabisch,  Wie  lehren  wir 
Religion?  1910,  pp.  1—65.— Chr.  Buerkstuemmer,  Der  Reli- 
gionsunterricht i.  d.  Volksschule,  1913,  pp.  55— 77.— F.  J.  Kunze, 
Die  christlich-religioese  Einwirkung  auf  die  Persoenlichkeit 
unter  psychologischen  Gesichtspunkten,  1911.— J.  Steinbeck, 
Lehrbuch   d.   kirchl.  Jugenderziehung,  pp.   63—77,    1914.— E.    H. 


304  The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction 

Sneath,  G.  Hodges,  and  H.   H.  Tweedy,  Religious  training  in 
school  and  home,  pp.  35 — 70,  1917. 

The  question  as  to  the  aim  in  religious  instruction 
is  of  fundamental  importance  for  religious  instruction 
from  a  theoretical  as  well  as  a  practical  aspect.  With- 
out a  precise,  clear  definition  of  such  aim,  no  reliable 
answer  can  be  given  to  the  question  as  to  educative 
means  or  material,  or  correctness  of  method.  Without 
it,  religious  instruction  bears  an  accidental  and  auto- 
matic character,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  a  precise  defi- 
nition of  the  aim  is  bound  also  to  settle  the  question  as 
to  material  and  method,  whereby  the  whole  educational 
and  disciplinary  task  is  raised  to  a  high  level  of  system, 
comprehensiveness,  and  purpose. 

When  we  inquire  concerning  the  aim  of  religious 
instruction,  we  do  not  mean  to  understand  the  term 
"instruction"  in  the  narrow,  conventional  sense,  accord- 
ing to  which  instruction  and  discipline  are  correlated 
as  the  joint  means  to  a  higher  end — the  training  of  the 
young.  However  justified  this  distinction  is  in  itself, 
we  forbear  making  it  in  this  connection.  As  must  ap- 
pear from  not  a  few  of  the  preceding  sections,  we  are 
so  thoroughly  in  earnest  in  regard  to  the  old  principle 
that  instruction  aims  at  molding  of  character  as  to  re- 
gard religious  instruction  and  religious  training  as  iden- 
tical. 

What,  accordingly,  is  the  aim  of  the  Church  in  giv- 
ing religious  instruction,  or  training?  Inasmuch  as  we 
here  deal  rather  with  the  task  of  instructing  the  youth 
of  the  Church  as  a  duty  toward  the  rising  generation 
growing  out  of  infant  baptism  than  with  the  vast  range 
of  religious  training  in  general,  the  aim  in  such  train- 
ing, on  the  strength  of  such  Scripture  passages  as   1 


The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction  305 

Cor.  3,  1 — 2;  Hebrews  5,  12,  or  even  Eph.  4,  13.  14, 
and  1  Thess.  5,  23,  cannot  be  said  to  be  "Christian  matur- 
ity" in  the  sense  of  Christian  excellence  or  moral  per- 
fection. The  immature  Christian  of  whom  the  apostles 
speak  dare  not  be  identified  with  our  Christian  children ; 
and  the  training  for  Christian  maturity,  as  we  must 
here  understand  it,  is  the  task  of  preaching  and  pastoral 
care  as  well,  and  is  often  not  accomplished  before  death. 

If  we  limit  our  task  to  the  religious  training  of  the 
young,  it  is  clear  that  also  here  the  object  in  view  is  a 
training  for  maturity,  but  in  another  sense  than  that 
just  discussed.  The  children  growing  up  in  the  con- 
gregation, have,  through  Baptism,  become  children  of 
the  Church,  and,  therewith,  of  the  body  of  Christ  on 
earth.  However,  they  are  still  immature,  dependent 
children,  who,  like  those  under  age  in  civil  life,  are  en- 
joined from  taking  part  either  in  the  enjoyment  of  all 
the  privileges,  or  the  performance  of  all  the  duties  of  the 
independent  and  mature  members  of  the  Church,  for  the 
reason  that  they  lack  the  prerequisites  for  the  ones  as 
well  as  the  others.  Appropriate  training  must  come 
first.  Accordingly,  the  aim  of  religious  instruction 
should,  generally  speaking,  be  the  training  for  complete 
participation  in  the  whole  religious  life  of  the  mature 
congregation — a  training  not  for  Christian  maturity 
in  the  sense  of  Christian  excellence  and  relative  moral 
perfection,  but  for  such  maturity  as  fits  one  for  a  suc- 
cessful participation  in  the  life  of  the  Church. 

The  Church,  or  Christian  congregation,  is  essen- 
tially the  throng  of  believers  congregating  around  the 
means  of  grace,  and  standing,  by  means  of  these,  in 
vital  relation  to  Jesus  Christ.  Her  life  is  primarily  a 
life  of  faith.     Accordingly  the  aim  in  religious  instruc- 


306  The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction 

tion  is  a  training  for  a  life  of  faith,  which,  craving  the 
means  of  grace  by  inner  necessity,  through  them  lays 
personally  hold  of  Christ,  so  that  the  blessing  of  his  fel- 
lowship may  be  enjoyed.  Whatever  our  conception  of 
infant  baptism  may  be,  a  conscious  and  self-contained 
life  of  faith  is  not  one  of  its  immediate  results :  for 
that  there  must  be  a  preliminary  training,  especially 
since  it  must  work  itself  out  in  every  direction.  Re- 
quiring, as  we  do,  a  training  for  a  life  of  faith,  we  take 
issue  with  the  Catholic  conception  of  training,  accord- 
ing to  which  the  prime  object  is  the  drilling  of  the  mass- 
es for  the  performance  of  churchly  functions,  and  ex- 
ternal accommodation  to  the  forms  of  religious  life. 
Likewise  we  take  issue  with  the  other  conception  of 
training — a  mere  outgrowth  of  intellectualism,  accord- 
ing to  which  the  Church  is  looked  upon  as  a  mere  school 
of  pure  doctrine,  during  the  inculcation  of  which  by 
means  of  formulas  the  training  of  the  heart  for  a  per- 
sonal relation  to  Jesus  Christ  is  either  altogether  lost 
sight  of  or  treated  as  of  secondary  importance.  Any 
kind  of  training  that  does  not  aim  at  a  radical  influence 
upon  the  heart  and,  therewith,  upon  the  whole  inner 
man — his  intellectual,  emotional,  volitional  life,  which, 
accordingly,  is  not  a  striving  for  the  establishment  of 
a  personal  relation  of  the  young  to  Christ  the  Savior 
and  King,  has  no  right  of  existence  in  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

The  Christian  congregation  has  ever  felt  itself  to 
be  the  communion  of  believers,  especially  at  worship — 
the  occasion  when  it  would  gather  around  the  Word  and 
sacraments,  in  order  thus  to  be  built  up  more  and  more 
into  a  spiritual  temple;  to  express  its  life  of  faith 
through   united  praise   and   thanksgiving;    and,   at   the 


The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction  307 

same  time,  to  manifest  its  unity  toward  the  world  with- 
out. Accordingly  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Church  to  train 
her  youth  for  an  intelligent  and  active  participation  in 
her  worship.  If  the  life  of  faith  connotes  a  life  in 
Scripture,  the  same  is  true  of  worship  and  its  life, 
through  which  the  former  is  expressed  and  replenished. 
The  training  for  the  one  as  well  as  the  other  is  there- 
fore bound  to  be  a  training  for  the  intelligent  and  inde- 
pendent use  of  Scripture.  While  a  requirement  such  as 
this  should  appear  to  be  a  matter  of  course  on  Refor- 
mation soil,  it  has,  so  far,  been  met  in  a  lamentably  mea- 
ger measure  within  the  Lutheran  Church. 

Another  factor  merits  consideration  in  this  con- 
nection. As  the  communion  of  believers,  the  Church 
has  received  peculiar  tasks  from  God.  The  Church  is 
intended  to  be  the  institute  of  salvation  for  the  world, 
bearing,  in  the  footsteps  of  Christ  her  Lord  and  Master, 
the  Gospel  to  whatever  quarter  is  still  without  it ;  going 
in  love  and  mercy  after  all  those  who  have  strayed 
or  never  been  of  her  fold — a  Samaritan  inn  for  all  the 
sick  or  forsaken.  The  fulfillment  of#  these  tasks  is  not 
easy ;  the  rising  generation  must  be  trained  for  them  by 
being  taught  to  know  and  love  them.  The  flock  of  God, 
moreover,  has  a  history  of  its  own,  from  which  alone 
its  condition  in  the  present  and  also  the  peculiarity  and 
specific  tasks  of  the  various  Confessions  can  be  rightly 
understood.  To  this  history  the  youth  must  be  intro- 
duced, if  their  own  Church  is  to  be  dear  and  precious  to 
them;  if  they  are  to  be  cognizant  of  what  their  Church 
has  in  common  with  others  and,  likewise,  of  the  factors 
dividing  her  from  others,  and  thus  to  be  enabled  to  take 
a  firm  stand.  The  youth  must  also  be  taught  to  face  the 
numerous  stirring  problems  of  the  present  with  which 


308  The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction 

a  member  of  the  Church  should  be  conversant  if  he  is 
to  play  a  man's  part  afterward.  Finally,  the  Church 
has  a  constitution.  Whatever  its  character  may  be,  she 
cannot  maintain  herself  permanently  without  one.  If 
the  rising  generation  is  ever  to  attain  to  maturity  and, 
within  the  limits  set  by  such  constitution,  with  indepen- 
dent judgment  to  take  part  in  the  planning  and  doing  of 
the  Church,  a  brief  introduction  to  this  constitution,  at 
least  in  outline,  cannot  be  dispensed  with.  Especially 
a  free  Church,  governing  herself,  will  be  compelled  to 
insist  upon  acquaintance  with  her  constitution. 

If,  for  the  reasons  given,  the  aim  in  the  religious 
instruction  of  the  young  cannot  be  anything  but  the 
training  of  the  rising  generation  for  a  comprehensive 
and  independent  participation  in  the  life  of  the  mature 
congregation  in  all  its  ramifications,  the  training  for 
a  personal  life  of  faith  and  active  participation  in  the 
worship  of  the  congregation  is  bound  to  occupy  the 
foreground.  The  welfare  of  the  rising  generation  de- 
pends upon  the  first-named  factor,  which,  in  turn,  is  in- 
separable from  the  second;  nor  can  there  be  any  other 
foundation  for  the  diverse  manisfestations  of  the  life 
the  congregation  has  in  common  with  its  youth.  How- 
ever, the  personal  life  of  faith  dare  not  receive  so  one- 
sided attention  as  to  endanger  the  training  for  partici- 
pation in  the  whole  life  of  the  congregation.  In  the 
Lutheran  Church  particularly,  hearty  co-operation  in 
the  problems  and  functions  of  the  Church  at  large,  and 
frequently  even  in  the  life  of  the  individual  congregation, 
has  for  this  reason  often  been  prevented. 

But  the  object  of  religious  instruction  and  training 
must  be  defined  with  still  greater  accuracy,  especially 
since  we  insist  upon  a  personal  faith  and  a  voluntary 


The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction  309 

participation   in   the   life   of   the  mature   congregation; 
for  the  Christian  congregation  would  cease  to  be  the 
flock  of  the  Lord,  should  its  members  cease  to  stand  in 
such  faith.    Personal  faith  in  Christ,  or  the  reception  of 
Jesus  into  the  heart  and  life,  so  that  the  soul,  having  laid 
hold  of  Him  as  its  Savior  and  willingly  surrendered  to 
Him  as  its  Lord  and  King,  becomes   a  participant  in 
the   whole   life   of   His   flock — this   cannot   be   brought 
about   by   human   instruction   and   human   training:   no 
one  can  bring  this  about  but  God  through   His  Holy 
Spirit.    Therefore  we  should  not  ascribe  to  human  acti- 
vity what  is  solely  a  prerogative  divine.     While  what 
the  educator  handles — the  instrument  whereby  he  means 
to  influence  the  hearts  of  youth,  is  the  Word  of  God ; 
and  while  the  Spirit  dwells  in  that  Word  as  the  secret 
of  its  power,  is  it  not  at  the  same  time  true  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  works  faith  in  the  hearers  of  the  Word  "where 
and  when  he  pleases"  (Augustana  5)  ?     The  Word  of 
God,  which  the  teacher  of  religious  truth  employs,  is 
indeed  efficacious ;  but  nowise  does  it  always  unfold  its 
power  at  the  time  when  it  is  proclaimed:  often  it  falls 
beneath   the   threshold   of   consciousness,   where   it   lies 
dormant  until  God's  own  time  and  hour  shall  have  ar- 
rived, when  it   shall   reveal  its  inherent  power   divine. 
The  time  of  youth  is  indeed  the  proper  time  for  sow- 
ing, for  the  reason  that  it  is  the  time  when  the  inner  de- 
velopment has  reached  the  stage  of  greatest  intensity; 
but  who  can  guarantee  that  the  power  dwelling  in  the 
Word  shall  unfold  in  the  time  of  youth,  and  in  every 
youthful  soul  entrusted  to  the  teacher  of  religion,  during 
the  time  from  the  first  to  the  fifth  year ;  or  from  the  sixth 
to  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth  year,  as  the  case  may  be ;  or 
from  the  thirteenth  to  the  eighteenth  or  twenty-first  year 


310  The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction 

respectively,  with  faith  as  the  result  of  the  Holy  Spirit's 
working?  Does  not  the  experience  of  many  parents  and 
catechists  and,  likewise,  of  many  Christians  in  general 
prove  that  the  time  and  hour  of  God,  in  the  case  of  many, 
does  not  coincide  with  the  time  of  youth;  that,  during 
this  period,  the  stage  of  transient  emotions  is  never 
passed,  yes,  not  even  reached.  Finally,  subjects  of  the 
efforts  of  the  teacher  of  religion  are  indeed  the  bap- 
tized children,  who,  through  the  sacrament,  have  be- 
come children  of  God ;  but  as  surely  as  the  teacher  never 
dare  forget  that  the  children  entrusted  to  him  have,  ob- 
jectively, become  God's  own,  he  is  at  the  same  time 
aware  that  the  subjective,  God-ward  development  is  often 
not  merely  arrested,  but  positively  interrupted.  In  con- 
sequence, what  has  not  been  shut  up  to  a  specific  period 
of  life  at  the  outset  nor  shows  itself  demonstrably  possi- 
ble of  attainment  in  spite  of  the  very  best  instruction, 
cannot  be  laid  down  as  the  aim  in  the  instruction  and 
training  in  that  self-same  period.  Should  this  be  done 
nevertheless,  discouragement  or  self-deception  on  the 
part  of  the  catechist  and,  here  and  there,  also  on  the 
part  of  the  catechumen  is  sure  to  come. 

The  teacher  of  religion  may  indeed  implant  into 
the  intellectual  life  of  the  young  souls  entrusted  to  him 
all  material  which  the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  own  time  will 
use  for  his  purpose,  in  order  to  awaken  in  their  souls 
a  personal,  conscious  faith,  and,  thereupon,  guide  them 
to  a  willing  and  all-sided  manifestation  of  it  in  the  ways 
and  tasks  of  the  mature  congregation;  and  wherever, 
especially  through  the  spirit  prevailing  in  the  home  life, 
no  unusual  obstacles  bar  the  soul  against  the  truth,  he 
will  succeed  in  so  influencing  the  emotional  life  of  the 
pupil   that   "interest"   is    aroused,   by   which   the   pupil 


The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction  311 

feels  himself  at  home  in  the  matter  of  religious  instruc- 
tion, and  prefers  these  concepts  and  spheres  of  thought 
to  any  other — that  there  is  an  inward  entering  upon  it, 
so  that  the  soul  is  attracted  by  it,  is  at  home  in  it,  and 
prefers  it  to  any  other  material  and  sphere  of  thought. 
Thus  a  personal  relation  is  established  between  the  soul 
and  the  matter  of  instruction;  the  latter  becomes  its 
property — anchored  in  the  depths  of  its  consciousness 
and  ready  for  service  when  the  Spirit  lays  hold  on  the 
soul  and  quickens  the  soul.  Or  the  Holy  Spirit  may 
let  these  subjects  transcend  the  threshold  of  conscious- 
ness and  release  the  inherent  divine  power  for  action, 
thus  leading  the  soul  creatively  to  a  conscious  life  of 
faith  and  voluntary  participation  in  the  life  of  the  ma- 
ture congregation.  Through  the  emotion,  the  teacher 
of  religion  may  also  move  the  volitional  life  of  his 
pupils,  so  that  they  entertain  respect  for  the  Word  of 
God  and  a  sincere  life  of  faith ;  that  they  take  part  with 
regularity  in  prayer,  in  worship,  and  in  the  tasks  of  the 
congregation.  While  all  this  is  not  yet  the  life  of  faith 
itself;  while,  with  all  this,  opposition  may  lurk  deep 
within  to  all  that  is  truly  divine  and  spiritual,  not  a  little 
has  nevertheless  been  achieved  for  the  future  life. 

The  teacher  of  religion  is  bound  to  keep  in  mind 
that  the  Church  is  the  communion  of  true  believers,  and 
that  the  children  entrusted  to  him  are  in  truth  members 
of  it  only  when  they  have  attained  to  personal  faith 
and,  as  corollary  thereto,  to  participation  in  all  privi- 
leges and  duties  of  the  mature  congregation.  He  will 
choose  all  his  educational  and  disciplinary  measures 
with  a  view  to  the  goal  to  which  God  unquestionably 
some  time  means  to  lead  the  soul.  But  when  he  is  called 
upon  to  designate  the  aim  of  his  own  efforts  in  the  pre- 


312  The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction 

mises,  he  will,  in  humility,  find  it  to  be  nothing  higher 
than  this:  (1)  faithfully  to  imbed  an  anchor  in  the 
INTELLECT  of  the  rising  generation  all  the  holy  truths 
upon  which  the  life  of  the  mature  congregation  funda- 
mentally is  based,  and  by  which  alone  it  is  constantly 
renewed,  and  without  the  knowledge  of  which  there  is  no 
possibility  of  an  all-sided  participation  in  the  life  of  the 
Church;  (2)  to  stir  their  EMOTIONS  to  a  vital  "in- 
terest" in  those  truths;  (3)  to  bend  the  WILL,  so  that  it 
may  run  in  the  paths  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit,  turning 
to  account  those  truths,  in  his  own  time  and 
hour,  lifts  them  into  personal  faith,  and,  as  a  corol- 
lary thereto,  into  the  life  of  the  mature  congregation. 
If  God  grants  grace  to  the  educator  that  in  this  or  that 
soul  He  brings  about  this  life  already  during  the  period 
of  training  or  unfolds  the  receptivity  for  it  that  had  been 
wrought  in  Baptism,  he  will  render  thanks  for  such 
mercy  as  for  a  gracious  incentive  to  further  efforts. 
But  should  he  have  no  such  experience,  or  should  he, 
since  he  cannot  unerringly  judge,  be  unaware  of  such 
a  result,  he  will  by  no  means  lose  heart,  but  trust  to  the 
power  of  the  Word  sown  by  him  and  to  the  grace  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  dwelling  in  it  with  power,  for  a  day  and 
hour  when  the  Gospel  shall  become  alive  and  work 
faith  in  those  that  refrain  from  wilful  resistance.  Should 
anyone  think  that  we  have  underestimated  the  aim,  let 
him  be  reminded  that  an  aim  too  high,  unattainable 
under  actual  conditions,  can  have  no  other  effect  than 
to  dishearten  the  sincere  educator;  that  even  the  true 
aim  stated  above  can  be  attained  only  through  the  bles- 
sing of  God;  and  that,  for  the  Christian- educator,  there 
can  in  fact  be  no  higher  incentive  than  the  thought: 
I  have  the  privilege  of  being  the  pioneer  and  apprentice 


The  Aim  of  the  Church  in  Religious  Instruction  313 

of  the  Holy  Spirit;  of  leading  the  souls  of  children  en- 
trusted to  me  in  regard  to  intellect,  emotions,  and  will, 
upon  paths  in  which  they  shall  be  made  by  Him,  soon 
or  late,  living  members  of  the  body  of  Christ.  The  in- 
centive will  be  the  greater  the  more  vividly  the  teacher 
realizes  that  these  souls  have  been  entrusted  to  him  in 
the  days  of  youth,  or  in  the  very  period  when  the  degree 
of  their  receptivity  and  tractability  is  such  as  to  warrant 
the  best  possible  prospects  of  permanent  success. 


IV.    The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

and  Its  Distribution  over  the  Several 

Educational  Agencies 

24.    The  Catechetical  Material  as  Suggested  by  the  Aim 
of  Religious  Instruction. 

Zezschwitz  II1,  1864. — Buchrucker,  Grundlinien  d.  kirchl. 
Katechetik,  1889,  pp.  116— 174.— Sachsse,  pp.  328— 368.— F. 
Zange,  Evang.  Religionsunterricht,  1897,  pp.  73 — 142. — A. 
Eckert,  Der  erziehende  Religionsunterricht,  1899,  pp.  30 — 78. — 
O.  Baumgarten,  Neue  Bahnen,  1903,  pp.  46 — 107.— J.  Gottschick, 
Homiletik  u.  Katechetik,  1908,  pp.  125— 159.— T.  Berndt,  Me- 
thodik i.  Untern  d.  ev.  Religion,  1909,  pp.  33— 72.— R.  Kabisch, 
Wie  lehren  wir  Religion?  1910,  pp.  117 — 181. — Achelis,  pp. 
365 — 410. — Chr.  Buerkstuemmer,  Der  Religionsunterricht  i.  d. 
Volksschule,    1913,   pp.    138— 174.— Steinbeck,   pp.    147—165. 

The  aim  of  catechetical  instruction,  as  stated  above, 
is,  (1)  faithfully  to  imbed  and  anchor  all  those  sacred 
truths  on  which  the  life  of  the  mature  congregation 
fundamentally  is  based,  and  by  which  alone  it  is  con- 
stantly renewed,  and  without  which  an  all-sided  partici- 
pation in  its  life  is  impossible :  (2)  to  arouse  the  emo- 
tional life  to  a  living  "interest"  in  such  truths,  and 
(3)  to  bend  the  will  into  those  paths  in  which  the  Holy 


314  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

Ghost,  by  means  of  such  truths,  in  his  own  time  and 
hour,  leads  to  a  personal  faith  and  to  a  participation  in 
the  life  of  the  mature  congregation.  If  this  is  true,  then 
the  question  as  to  the  material  required  for  religious  in- 
struction, has,  at  least  in  outline,  already  been  answered. 
Those  sacred  truths  on  which  the  life  of  the  mature 
congregation  is  based  and  by  which  alone  it  constantly 
is  renewed,  form  the  material  for  religious  instruction. 

The  life  of  the  mature  congregation  is  primarily 
a  life  of  faith.  Through  faith  it  has  laid  hold  of  Jesus 
Christ,  whereby  it  has  become  a  Christian  congrega- 
tion ;  in  faith  it  ever  needs  to  lay  hold  of  Christ  anew 
if  it  is  to  maintain  its  character  as  such;  and  its  whole 
conversation  must  grow  out  of  such  faith,  to  be  accept- 
able to  God.  The  briefest  and  most  pregnant  summary 
of  the  faith  living  in  the  Christian  congregation  we  have 
in  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  one  of  whose  chief  merits 
is  the  fact  that  it  does  not  present  the  theology  of  any 
one  historical  period  in  the  development  of  the  Church, 
whereby  it  would  lose  its  usefulness  for  any  other  pe- 
riod;  but  that  it  voices  the  fundamental  thoughts  of  the 
Christian  congregation's  life  of  faith,  which  are  the 
same  in  every  period.  This  it  does  not  in  an  abstract 
way,  but  in  the  notes  of  a  confession  coming  from  the 
heart;  nor  is  it  ever  forgotten  that  such  faith  is  to  be 
demonstrated  in  the  daily  life.  When  the  adolescent 
youth  has  come  to  feel  at  home  in  the  truths  enun- 
ciated in  the  Small  Catechism,  it  will  always  be  at  home 
in  that  world  of  thought  which  is  peculiar  to  the  mature 
congregation.  The  Small  Catechism  of  Dr.  Luther  con- 
stitutes for  this  reason  an  important  part  of  the  ma- 
terial for  religious  instruction. 

But  the  life  of  faith  of  the  Evangelical  congrega- 


The  Catechetical  Material  315 

tion,  animating  Christendom  with  power  occasionally 
hidden  but  ever  breaking  forth  anew,  is  based  upon  a 
sacred  history.  Only  upon  the  basis  of  such  sacred 
history,  of  which  both  God  and  men  were  constituent 
factors,  have  a  life  of  faith  and  a  Christian  congrega- 
tion become  possible :  the  life  of  faith  is  the  fruit  God 
intended  to  mature  in  a  history  ranging  over  more  than 
a  thousand  years, — the  history  of  human  sin  and  divine 
grace.  The  rising  generation,  accordingly,  would  be 
incapable  of  understanding  and  rightly  appreciating  the 
life  of  faith  of  the  congregation  in  the  present,  save 
as  it  is  introduced  to  this  sacred  history.  To  this  must 
be  added,  that,  though  Christian  faith  is  by  no  means  es- 
sentially only  "fides  historica",  facts  of  sacred  history 
are  nevertheless  integral  elements  of  the  true  Christian 
faith,  as  may  be  seen  most  clearly  from  the  Second  Ar- 
ticle of  our  Christian  Confession.  Accordingly  a  sum- 
mary of  sacred  history,  such  as  we  find  in  our  text  books 
on  that  subject,  are  an  indispensable  part  of  the  material 
for  religious  instruction. 

Both  Catechism  and  Biblical  History  point  back 
to  Holy  Scriptures  from  which  they  have  been  derived. 
While  the  Catechism  deals  with  the  present,  in  that  it 
gives  expression  to  the  life  of  faith  in  the  Christian  con- 
gregation ;  while  Biblical  History  deals  with  the  past,  in 
that  it  discloses  the  historical  basis  upon  which  the 
former  rests,  the  Holy  Scriptures  do  both.  They  show 
us  the  paths  followed  by  God  in  order  to  establish  fel- 
lowship between  Himself  and  men,  and  the  paths  upon 
which  today  He  seeks  to  lead  and  keep  men  into  this 
fellowship  through  faith.  It  is  the  Holy  Scriptures  in 
which  the  mature  congregation  is  to  search,  from  which 
it  is  to  draw  power  and  guidance,  light  and  solace  for 


316  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

all  conditions  of  life.  How  can  the  rising  generation 
proceed  to  such  intelligent  and  independent  use  of  the 
Scriptures,  unless  it  first  receive  guidance  and  training 
for  the  purpose  through  religious  instruction  ?  In  con- 
sequence, in  addition  to  the  Catechism  and  Biblical  His- 
tory, also  the  Bible  must  be  an  integral  element  of  re- 
ligious  instruction. 

The  life  of  faith  of  the  mature  congregation  is  evi- 
denced particularly  through  a  common  public  service. 
Powerfully  the  communion  of  believers  is  drawn  to  the 
public  service,  for  the  purpose  of  renewing  and  quicken- 
ing its  life  by  a  joint  use  of  the  means  of  grace  and,  at 
the  same  time,  of  expressing  it  by  joining  together  in 
its  confessions,  in  singing  and  praying.  A  type  of  re- 
ligious instruction  that  fails  to  train  the  rising  genera- 
tion for  intelligent  and  active  participation  in  the. wor- 
ship of  the  mature  congregation,  overlooks  a  most 
important  point.  Everything,  however,  which  is  needed 
to  equip  the  adolescent  youth  for  such  participation  we 
find  collected  in  the  Hymnal,  or  Church-Book,  which,  for 
that  reason,  is  likewise  to  be  accounted  as  part  of  the 
material  for  catechetical  instruction. 

The  life  in  which  the  younger  generation  is  later  to 
take  an  independent  part,  is  the  life  of  the  Evangeli- 
cal,— of  the  Evangelical-Lutheran  Church.  However, 
our  youth  sees  itself  surrounded  by  other  denominations, 
which  likewise  profess  to  be  part  of  the  great  Church  of 
Christ  upon  earth.  How,  in  the  circumstances,  can  there 
be  possible  a  conscious  joining  of  the  Church  of  one's 
own  confession,  and  a  joyful  advocacy  of  her  interests, 
unless  the  youth  of  the  Church  be  made  acquainted  with 
her  character  and  her  title  to  existence  as  a  particular 
Church?     This   object  is   best   accomplished  by   intro- 


Biblical  History  317 

during  the  pupil  to  the  epochal  periods  of  the  history 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  especially  into  the  history 
of  one's  own  particular  Church.  One  can  love  and  ap- 
preciate only  what  one  knows.  That  is  the  reason  that 
church  history  in  some  form  is  a  part  of  the  instruction 
given  by  the  Church. — The  mature  congregation,  fur- 
ther, has  its  own  peculiar  task  and  work.  If  the  rising 
generation,  at  a  later  day,  is  to  take  part  in  it  with 
readiness  and  cheerfulness,  it  must  know  the  why  and 
wherefore,  the  spheres  and  occasions  of  such  efforts. 
Only  thus  can  an  active  laity,  so  much  needed  by  the 
Church,  be  establshed.  Introduction  to  the  several 
spheres  of  activity  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  the  fun- 
damental features  of  the  constitution  of  the  Church  will 
accordingly  become  part  of  the  material  for  instruction. 
That  the  material  enumerated  does  not  all  occupy  the 
same  level  of  importance,  is  readily  seen.  It  is  bound 
to  divide  itself  into  a  primary  and  a  secondary  element, 
instruction  in  Biblical  History,  Catechism,  Holy  Scrip- 
tures and,  in  a  measure,  the  Hymnal  belonging  to  the 
first.  Only,  in  stressing  the  primary  element  that  which 
is  secondary  dare  not  be  relegated  too  much  to  the  back- 
ground, let  alone  be  altogether  forgotten.  Preparation 
for  participation  in  the  whole  life  of  the  mature  con- 
gregation being  the  aim,  we  may  dispense  with  no  part 
of  the  material  enumerated. 

25.     Biblical  History. 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  II2 :  Der  biblische  Unterricht  in  der 
Volksschule  (pp.  62—187),  1869.— K.  Buchrucker  (pp.  135— 
154),  1889.— E.  Sachsse  (pp.  330—333),  1897.— F.  Zange  (pp. 
73 — 142).  1897.— A.  Eckert  (pp.  30—35),  1899.— O.  Baumgarten 
(pp.  27—39;  60—80),  1903.— J.  Gottschick"  (pp.  126—137),  1908 
— J.    Berndt    (pp.    36-53).    1909.— R.    Kabisch    (pp.    117—128), 


318  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

1910. — A.  Rude,  Methodik  d.  Gesinnungs-  u.  Sprachunterrichts 
(pp.  14—84),  1-1912. — Chr.  Buerckstuemmer  (pp.  138  f. :  144— 
157),  1913.— J.  Steinbeck  (pp.  171—185),  1914.— L.  Wangemann, 
Handreichung  beim  Unterricht  d.  Kleinen  in  d.  Gotteserkennt- 
nis (pp.  6 — 43),  1861. — J.  H.  Schueien,  Gedanken  ueber  d.  Reli- 
gionsunterricht i.  d.  christl.  Volksschule,  51900. — K.  Buchrucker, 
Der  biblische  Geschichtsunterricht,  21880.— F.  H.  Kahle,  Die  Ge- 
schichte d.  Reiches  Gottes.  Handbuch  zur  unterrichtl.  Behandig. 
d.  Biblischen  Geschichte,  71892.— E.  and  O.  Zurhellen,  Wie  er- 
zaehlen  wir  den  Kindern  die  biblischen  Geschichten,  21910. — ■ 
M.  Paul,  Fuer  Herz  u.  Gemuet  der  Kleinen,  61911. — M.  Reu, 
Unsere  Erziehungsaufgabe  i.  Licht  von  Joh.  17,  6  (Kirchl. 
Zeitschrift),  1911. — F.  Rienecker,  Gottes  Wort  bleibt  in  Ewig- 
keit, 1912. — G.  Fankhauser,  Die  biblische  Geschichte  i.  Sonntags- 
schule u.  Religionsstunde,  31915. — Religious  instruction  by 
means  of  tales:  Reukauf,  Zur  Lehrplantheorie  d.  geschichtl. 
Stoffe  i.  Religionsunterricht  d.  Volksschule,  1901. — Landmann, 
Maerchenunterricht  (Reins  Handbuch),  21902. — Just,  Maerchen- 
unterricht,  1906. — Hiemesch,  Der  Gesinnungsunterricht.  Volks- 
maerchen  als  Gesinnungsstoff  i.  1.  Schuljahr,  1910. — Eick,  Das 
Maerchen  und  seine  Stellung  i.  Unterricht,  1911. — Schroecke, 
Maerchen  und  Kind,  1911. — Fuchs,  Robinson  als  Stoff  e.  erzieh. 
Unterrichts,  1893. — Redecker  and  Putz,  Der  Gesinnungsunter- 
richt i.  1.  u.  2.  Schuljahr,  21903. — Hiemesch,  Die  Robinsoner- 
zaehlung  als  Gesinnungsstoff  der  Volksschule,  1907. — Rein,  Pik- 
kel,  Scheller,  Das  erste  Schuljahr,  s1908.— H.  H.  Meyer,  The 
Graded  Sunday  School  in  Principle  and  Practice,  1910. — In- 
struction in  the  Old  Testament:  E.  Katzer,  Das  Judenchristen- 
tum  i.  d.  religioesen  Volkserziehung  d.  deutschen  Protestantis- 
mus, 1893. — Floering,  Das  A.  Test.  i.  evang.  Religionsunter- 
richt, 1895. — Lietz,  Neue  Aufgaben  auf  d.  Gebiet  d.  Religions- 
unterrichts (Rein's  Mitteilungen  aus  d.  paedagogischen  Uni- 
versitaetsseminar  i.  Jena,  number  6),  1895. — Hoffmeister,  Die 
paedagogische  Erziehg.  d.  christl.  Jugend,  1897. — Meltzer,  Das 
A.  Test.  i.  christl.  Unterricht,  1899. — Reukauf,  Grundlegung  f. 
Auswahl  u.  Anordnung  d.  Unterrichtsstoffe,  1900. — Brammer, 
Neue  Bahnen  f.  d.  Religionsunterr.  I,  1900. — E.  Katzer,  Juden- 
christentum (Rein's  Handbuch),  21902. — Dreydorff,  Quousque 
Tandem.     E.   ernstes  Wort  wider   d.   alttestl.    Geschichtsunterr., 


Biblical  History  319 

1902.— Kautzsch,  Die  bleibende  Bedeutung  d.  A.  Tests.,  21903. 
— Kautzsch,  Bibelwissenschaft  und  Religionsunterricht,  21903. — 
Staude,  Das  Alte  Test.  i.  Licht  d.  Neuen,  1905.— Auffahrt,  Die 
religioese  Frage  und  die  Schule,  2.  Heft,  1905.— J.  Koeberle, 
Heilsgeschichte  u.  religionsgeschichtliche  Betrachtung  d.  Alten 
Tests.  (Neue  kirchl.  Zeitschrift),  1906.— C.  F.  Kent,  The  Origin 
and  Permanent  Value  of  the  Old  Test.,  1906.— J.  Orr,  Problem 
of  the  Old  Testament,  1906. — Geo.  Hodges,  The  Training  of 
Children  in  Religion  (pp.  167—217),  1911.— A.  J.  W.  Myers,  The 
Old  Testament  and  the  Sunday  School,  1913.— On  the  aim 
of  instruction  in  Biblical  History:  Grube,  Charakterbilder  aus 
d.  H.  Schrift,  1854.— Kolbe,  Die  Biblische  Geschichte  in  Le- 
bensbildern. Katechesen  f.  d.  Oberstufe,  1900.— Falcke,  Die 
Heilige  Geschichte  in  Lebensbildern,  rT908. — Thraendorf,  Pae- 
dagogische  Studien,  3d  part,  1893. — Bang,  Das  Leben  Jesu. 
Seine  unterrichtliche  Behandlung  i.  d.  Volksschuloberklasse 
(1893),  41902 — Bang,  Das  Leben  Jesu  in  historisch-pragmati- 
scher Darstellung,  1898. — Bang,  Sind  die  gegen  e.  historisch- 
pragmatische Behandlung  d.  Lebens  Jesu  erhobenen  Bedenken 
gerechtfertigt,  1908. — Niebergall,  Jesus  im  Unterricht,  1909. — 
T.  G.  Soares,  Heroes  of  Israel.— C.  F.  Kent,  Historical  Bible.— 
E.  D.  Burton  and  Sh.  Mathews,  Life  of  Christ. 

From  the  history  of  catechetical  instruction  it  is 
evident  that,  from  the  beginning,  it  was  customary  in 
one  way  or  another  to  give  instruction  in  Biblical 
History ;  but  that  it  did  not  receive  attention  in  the  same 
measure  as  instruction  in  the  Catechism ;  that  such  in- 
struction was  forgotten  during  the  Middle  Ages  almost 
altogether,  to  be  accorded  a  wider  reception  in  the 
Church  of  the  Reformation  only  by  slow  degrees.  From 
these  facts  the  conclusion  might  be  drawn  that  Biblical 
History,  even  though  rightfully  a  part  of  catechetical 
instruction,  was  deserving  of  secondary  instead  of  pri- 
mary place.  When,  further,  we  bear  in  mind  that  Bibli- 
cal History  leads  the  pupil  into  the  past,  while  the  rising 
generation  needs  primarily  to  be  made  acquainted  with 


320  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

the  life  of  faith  of  the  mature  congregation  of  the  pre- 
sent, we  appear  to  find  an  additional  reason  to  give  first 
place  to  the  Catechism.  Notwithstanding  dogmatical 
and,  still  more,  pedagogic  grounds  require  that  prefer- 
ence be  given  to  Biblical  History.  The  dogmatical  rea- 
sons are  that  God's  revelation  by  acts  and  not  the  one  by 
words,  which  latter  finds  expression  in  the  Catechism 
rather  than  the  former,  has  become  the  fundamental 
and  creative  factor;  and  that  Christ,  the  center  of  the 
life  of  faith  of  the  present,  is  not  understood  aright  un- 
less He  be  viewed  as  starting-point  and  creator  of  the 
whole  New  Testament  period  of  salvation  and,  like- 
wise, as  the  goal  of  a  more  than  millennial  history  of 
God's  relation  to  man.  The  pedagogic  reasons  are  that 
the  principle  of  intuition,  as  conditioned  by  the  mental 
development  (pp.  228,  241,  251),  requires  plastic  images, 
such  as  they  are  offered  nowhere  else  so  copiously  as  in 
Biblical  History,  and  as,  according  to  the  same  princi- 
ple, they  are  needed  as  a  basis  of  instruction  in  Cate- 
chism, especially  since  the  gradual  unfolding  of  the  soul 
of  the  child  plainly  suggests  the  use  of  historical  material 
as  a  means  of  instruction  (page  279).  So  much  is  certain 
that  such  instruction  in  Biblical  History  must  not  bury 
the  youth  of  the  Church  in  the  past :  always  it  must  be 
viewed  and  turned  to  account  in  its  bearings  upon  the 
present  life  of  faith.  Where  this  is  neglected,  the  know- 
ledge imparted  is  dead.  While  it  may  prove  of  value 
in  the  future,  it  is  certain  that  it  offers  him  nothing  for 
the  present. 

Instruction  in  Biblical  History,  being  a  fundamen- 
tal factor,  should  be  given  in  every  grade.  This  has 
been  denied  by  the  school  of  Ziller  (Ziller,  1817—1882) 
or  by  the  Neo-Herbartians  (page  167),  a  dozen  tales  be- 


Biblical  History  321 

ing  appointed  in  its  place  for  the  lower  grade,  and  the 
story  of  Robinson  for  the  upper.  Also  in  America  the 
attempt  was  made  to  domesticate  the  choice  of  such 
material.  It  was  thought  that  even  the  most  simple 
Bible  story  was  too  difficult  for  the  capacity  of  children 
six  or  seven  years  of  age;  that  the  concepts  required 
by  it  were  too  remote  from  the  concept  sphere  of  chil- 
dren; that  the  language  of  Scripture,  which  was  to  be 
retained  to  the  full  extent  possible,  was  not  that  of  the 
children ;  also,  that  such  historic  material  as  there  fur- 
nished failed  to  stimulate  the  phantasy  sufficiently  and 
left  the  mind  atrophied.  But  these  arguments  fit  rather 
the  faulty  handling  of  the  matter,  as  found  here  and 
there,  than  the  matter  itself.  They  remind  us  indeed  that 
the  selection  of  biblical  stories  for  the  lower  grade  should 
be  made  from  the  point  of  view  that  only  such  sections 
should  be  taken  which  neither  transcend  the  capacity 
of  the  children  nor  are  too  remote  from  their  concept 
sphere — that  is,  family  stories;  and  that  they  should  be 
couched  in  such  language  as  the  children  can  under- 
stand, even  though  a  departure  from  the  language  of 
Scripture  should  be  entailed;  likewise,  that  the  chil- 
dren's phantasy  should  be  duly  stimulated.  If  these  pre- 
requisites are  supplied,  it  is  quite  appropriate  to  let  re- 
ligious instruction  at  the  age  of  from  six  to  seven  years, 
begin  with  Bible  stories  (pages  279 — 281).  The  putting 
of  tales  into  the  service  of  religious  instruction  might  in- 
volve the  risk,  by  no  means  to  be  underestimated,  that 
confidence  in  the  truth  of  what  is  taught  in  the  period 
devoted  to  religion  is  shaken,  and  the  child  becomes 
inclined  to  consider  the  subsequent  biblical  stories  as 
mere  tales,  at  least  to  view  their  thaumaturgic  character 
with    skepticism.    .Though    this   might   not   take   place 


322  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

during  the  scholastic  period,  it  might  easily  be  possible 
that,  at  a  later  day,  the  thought  will  suggest  itself 
to  the  youth  that,  as  he  formerly  was  led  from  tales  to 
biblical  stories,  so  it  is  now  his  privilege  or  duty  to 
mount  above  this  stage,  to  view  mistorical  elements  as 
symbols,  and  thus  to  penetrate  to  the  right  "spirit"  of 
Scripture  and  Christianity.  We  maintain,  then,  that 
Biblical  History  is  to  be  taught  already  in  the  lower 
grade.  Of  course,  every  story  must  form  a  unit  by  it- 
self ;  it  dare  not  be  coupled  with  others.  Nor  is  it  neces- 
sary to  connect  one  story  with  the  other  in  point  of  time 
or  logic,  inasmuch  as  the  mental  development  of  the 
child  precludes  such  treatment  during  these  years  alto- 
gether.— A  different  situation  is  presented  by  still 
younger  children,  who  are  either  instructed  by  the 
mother  at  home  or  in  attendance  upon  the  lower  classes 
of  Sunday  school ;  or  by  children  of  from  six  to  eight 
years  who  are  mentally  backward  or  the  scions  of  a  fam- 
ily to  which  the  idea  of  God  is  an  unknown  quantity. 
In  that  case  it  is  incumbent  upon  the  teacher  to  arouse 
or  strengthen  the  consciousness  of  God  by  a  prelimi- 
nary course,  as  it  is  found,  for  instance,  in  the  first 
course  of  the  "Wartburg  Lesson  Helps"  ("For  Begin- 
ners"). But  even  such  preliminary  course  may  be  joined 
to  subjects  of  a  biblical  character. 

Ziller  had  proposed  the  following  twelve  tales  from  the 
collection  of  the  brothers  Grimm :  1.  The  Tale  of  the  Star 
Dollars;  2.  The  three  Sluggards;  3.  The  three  Spinning  Wo- 
men; 4.  The  Straw,  the  Coal,  and  the  Bean;  5.  The  Seven  Kids; 
6.  The  Little  Hen  and  the  Little  Cock  or,  as  alternate,  The 
Death  of  the  Little  Hen;  7.  Wolf  and  Fox;  8.  The  Rabble; 
9.  The  City  Musicians  of  Bremen;  10.  Wren  and  Bear;  11. 
"Fundevogel" ;  12.  Poor  Man  and  Rich  Man.  From  these,  two 
were  presently  removed  as  of  doubtful  educational  value,  name- 
ly. "The  Three  Sluggards",  and  "The  Three  Spinning  Women". 


Biblical  History  323 

"Snowwhite1  and  Rosered"  and  "Mrs.  Holle"  being  put  in  their 
place.  Rein,  of  Jena,  expunged  also  "The  Rabble"  and  "Wren 
and  Bear",  replacing  them  with  "Red  Ridinghood"  and  "The 
Ear  of  Rye".  Also,  he  received  into  the  collection  both  "The 
Little  Chick"  and  "The  Little  Hen"  and  "The  Death  of  the 
Little  Hen",  at  the  same  time  increasing  the  collection  to  four- 
teen by  the  addition  of  "The  Sweet  Broth".  In  "The  First 
School  Year",  by  Rein,  Pickel  and  Scheller  (Leipzig,  Eighth 
Edition,  1908),  we  find  (pages  193 — 245),  didactic  sketches  on 
these  tales,  which  in  "The  Progressive  Educator"  (1898 — 1899), 
were  translated  by  Dr.  Abbot  into  English.  That  there  is  a 
difference  in  the  underlying  principle  between  such  educational 
project,  and,  likewise,  that  which  is  offered  by  so  many  liberal- 
izing "Graded  Series",  published  in  great  numbers  in  the  last 
two  decades  and  between  the  material  found  in  the  preparatory 
course  of  "For  Beginners"  in  "Wartburg  Lesson  Helps",  appears 
from  the  first  titles  of  the  first  twenty  lessons:  1.  How  God 
made  everything;  2.  How  God  made  the  First  Man;  3.  Things 
God  has  Given  me;  4.  How  God  takes  care  of  me;  5.  and  6. 
How  God  Takes  Care  of  us  through  His  Angels ;  7.  How  God 
Made  me  His  Child;  8.  and  9.  How  we  may  Talk  to  our  Hea- 
venly Father;  10.  How  God  Hears  the  Prayer  of  His  People; 
11.  How  Good  Jesus'  Lambs  have  it;  12  and  13.  How  God 
Sees  and  Hears  Everything;  14  and  15.  How  God  punishes  us 
when  we  Do  Wrong;  16.  How  God  Judges  the  Heart;  17.  How 
we  Should  Celebrate  the  Sunday;  18.  How  we  Should  Help  all 
those  in  Trouble;  19.  The  Bible  is  the  Best  Book;  20.  How 
beautiful  Heaven  is. 

Not  seldom  the  attempt  is  made  to  exclude  the  Bibli- 
cal History  of  the  Old  Testament  where  the  necessity 
of  teaching  New  Testament  Biblical  History  is  conceded. 
Indeed,  if,  according  to  modern  criticism,  the  only  thing 
to  be  found  there  is  a  story  encysted  in  legends  or  "a 
Jewish  Chronicle",  instruction  in  Old  Testament  history 
were  less  in  place  than  that  of  the  homeland,  undeserv- 
ing of  a  position  in  the  curriculum  of  religious  instruc- 
tion. However,  the  Old  Testament  was  the  Bible  of 
Jesus ;  and,  through  its  connection  with  the  history  of 


324  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

the  New  Testament,  that  of  the  Old  Testament  has  be- 
come part  and  parcel  of  the  history  of  salvation.  The 
latter  is  preparatory  to  the  New  Testament  history  of 
revelation  to  such  an  extent  that  not  only  many  single 
facts  of  the  New  Testament  can  not  be  understood  with- 
out the  Old,  but  also  Jesus  Christ  and  His  life  work  can 
impossibly  be  understood  in  His  universal,  unique,  and 
mediatorial  significance,  save  as  He  is  recognized  as  goal 
of  a  history  ranging  over  more  than  a  thousand  years, 
as  such  to  fulfill  and  still  the  longing  of  the  whole  pre- 
Christian  world  (Gal.  4,  4).  These  facts  explain  the 
necessity  for  an  introduction  into  Old  Testament  his- 
tory, and,  at  the  same  time,  the  duty  of  relating  every- 
thing in  it  to  Christ  and  of  interpreting  everything  with 
a  view  to  Him  as  its  goal.  Moreover,  it  is  just  the  men 
of  the  Old  Testament  that,  in  view  of  their  uns-haken 
faith  in  Jahve,  of  their  unswerving  looking  for  the 
promised  future,  of  their  constancy  despite  the  contra- 
dictions of  the  present,  in  spite  of  all  their  sins  and 
infirmities,  stand  before  us  as  sublime  types  of  an  evan- 
gelical life  of  faith.  The  teacher  of  religion  who  knows 
that  his  object  in  all  of  his  instructions  must  be  to  train 
his  pupil,  could  not  wish  for  better  ones.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  divine  holiness  and  grace  and,  likewise,  a 
number  of  fundamental  moral  principles,  as,  for  in- 
stance, "Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  but  sin  is  a 
reproach  to  any  people",  can  be  most  clearly  exhibited 
in  the  light  of  God's  Old  Covenant  people,  and  thus  be 
impressed  upon  the  adolescent  youth. 

Therewith  the  question  as  to  the  purpose  of  in- 
instruction  in  Biblical  History  has  already  been  answered 
in  part.  Naturally,  such  purpose  dare  not  be  in  conflict 
with  the  object  aimed  at  in  all  efforts  of  the  Church  to 


Biblical  History  325 

train  her  youth.  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  rather 
pursues  the  aim  of  contributing  its  relative  share  to  the 
general  object.  But  if  it  is  to  be  an  integral  factor  in 
the  process  of  imbedding  and  anchoring  in  the  three- 
fold inner  life  of  the  adolescent  youth  the  sacred  con- 
cept material  with  which  the  mature  congregation  nour- 
ishes its  life,  such  instruction  should  indeed  impress 
upon  the  mind  the  several  features  of  the  more  impor- 
tant stories  of  the  Bible;  but,  that  attained,  it  should 
go  further.  Were  the  catechist  content  with  enabling 
his  pupils  to  recite  the  contents  of  the  Bible  stories  with 
moderate  success,  his  achievement  would  be  a  mere  me- 
chanical appropriation  of  such  material  by  the  memory : 
there  would  have  been  no  digestion  of  it  through  inten- 
sive thinking,  no  stimulation  of  the  emotions,  no  stir- 
ring of  the  will ;  at  least  so  far  as  the  present  is  concern- 
ed, there  would  be  no  benefit  whatever. 

For  this  reason  a  second  factor  deserves  due  consid- 
eration. The  holy  divine  thoughts  contained  in  the  in- 
dividual Bible  story  and  of  moment  for  the  Christian's 
communion  with  God  in  the  present,  should  be  drawn 
forth  and  impressed  upon  the  children's  hearts,  whether 
they  have  reference  to  the  life  of  faith  in  its  God-ward 
or  its  man-ward  bearings.  This  is  the  case  particularly 
when  the  effort  is  made  to  join  several  stories  for  the 
delineation  of  the  character  of  the  more  important  per- 
sonages met  by  us  upon  the  heights  of  Old  Testament 
history,  especially  of  Abraham,  Moses,  David,  and  sub- 
sequently, in  a  higher  sense,  even  of  Christ.  In  such 
case,  the  typical  traits  that  at  this  day  continue  to  be 
essential  to  a  truly  evangelical  life,  must  be  drawn  forth 
with  care,  so  as  to  cast  light  upon  God's  relation  to 
these  personages  and  upon  their  attitude  toward  God 


326  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

and  their  fellow  men.  The  life  of  such  types  must  be 
made  an  object  lesson  for  children,  to  enable  them  to 
understand  and  vividly  to  realize  the  seriousness  and 
debasing  tendency  of  sin,  so  that  they  may  know  that 
in  sin  they  deal  with  a  most  momentous  reality,  and  that 
the  conviction  that  a  life  of  sin  is  incompatible  with  a 
life  of  faith  be  impressed  upon  their  hearts,  together 
with  an  abiding  horror  for  sin.  When  the  Old  Testa- 
ment is  under  consideration,  the  proper  opportunity  is 
given  of  setting  forth  the  difference  between  Old  Testa- 
ment and  New  Testament  morality,  in  order  thus  to  ob- 
viate misunderstanding  at  a  later  time,  and  to  show  the 
progress  of  the  divine  revelation;  for  the  life  in  which 
our  catechumens  are  to  join  with  full  consciousness  of 
what  they  do,  is  not  that  of  the  Old  but  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament, not  of  the  congregation  under  the  Law  but  of 
that  under  the  Gospel. 

Let  us  use  a  few  examples  to  illustrate  this  object  of  a 
course  in  Biblical  History.  That  the  children  know  the  sequence 
of  the  several  creative  acts  of  God  is  worthy  of  recognition ; 
for  the  development  from  the  lower  to  the  higher  thus  made 
clear  demonstrates  to  the  children  with  so  much  greater  force 
the  fact  that  the  creation  of  the  world  was  preliminary  to  that 
of  man.  More  important,  however,  than  even  this  truth,  and  of 
greater  moment  for  their  whole  life,  is  the  inculcation  upon 
their  minds  of  the  great  thought  that  God,  because  He  is 
creator  of  the  whole  world,  is  for  that  very  reason,  also  its  Lord, 
so  that  there  is  no  occasion  for  fearing  anything  in  heaven  and 
on  earth,  provided  we  have  Him  for  a  friend.  It  is  well  and 
good  that  the  children  should  be  conversant  with  the  details  of 
man's  fall;  but  it  is  more  necessary  that  with  this  story  as 
object  lesson,  the  fact  should  be  impressed  upon  their  minds 
beyond  the  peradventure  of  a  doubt  that  our  God  is  not  a  God 
who  has  pleasure  in  ungodliness,  and  that  the  wicked  man  can- 
not abide  in  His  presence.  It  is  well  if  the  class  is  able  to  state 
the   dimensions    of   the   ark   or   even  the   dates   of  the    story   of 


Biblical  History  327 

the  flood;  hut  it  is  of  more  importance  that  the  class,  the  day 
that  lesson  has  been  taught,  should  adjourn  with  the  conviction 
wrought  in  every  soul:  "Be  not  deceived;  God  is  not  mocked: 
for  whatever  a  man  soweth,  that  he  shall  also  reap".  The  cate- 
chist  may  ask  the  children  to  recite  the  events  that  preceded 
the  giving  of  the  Law  on  Sinai,  especially  since  these  are  close- 
ly connected  with  the  main  point — the  holiness  of  God;  hut  he 
has  failed  to  do  justice  to  his  task  if  he  has  not  previously 
presented  to  them  the  history  of  the  giving  of  the  Law  with 
such  clearness  and  vividness,  with  such  impressiveness  and  ear- 
nestness, that  Law  an'd  divine  holiness  are  so  inextricably  blend- 
ed in  the  juvenile  understanding  and  fancy  as  to  bring  out 
upon  their  consciences  in  letters  of  fire  the  divine  command, 
"Ye  shall  be  holy;  for  I,  the  Lord  your  God,  am  holy". — The 
treatment  of  the  several  events  in  the  life  of  Abraham  and  the 
careful  development  of  the  involved  moral  and  religious  truths, 
together  with  the  application  of  these  to  the  life  of  the  child, 
is  a  necessary  and  most  important  duty  of  the  catechist;  but 
when  all  of  these,  one  by  one,  have  been  considered  and  turned 
to  account,  let  the  whole  be  summarized  for  the  purpose  of 
showing,  with  the  life  of  "the  father  of  the  faithful"  as  object 
lesson,  what  is  really  meant  by  a  life  of  faith;  how  God  trains 
us  for  it ;  and  how  the  underlying  truth  is  evidenced  in  the 
various  conditions  of  life.  "The  obedience  of  faith  drew  Abra- 
ham into  a  .foreign  country;  in  the  humility  of  faith  he  yielded 
to  Lot  his  cousin;  in  the  strength  of  faith  he  smote  with  318 
men  many  heathen  kings ;  in  the  perseverance  of  faith,  reason 
and  nature  to  the  contrary,  he  rested  in  the  word  of  promise; 
in  the  boldness  of  faith,  again  and  again  reducing  his  demands, 
he  implored  of  Jahve  the  salvation  of  Sodom;  in  the  joy  of 
faith  he  received,  named,  and  circumcised  the  son  of  promise; 
in  the  fidelity  of  faith  he  conformed,  at  the  behest  of  God,  to 
the  will  of  Sarah  and  cast  out  Ishmael  with  his  mother  Hagar ; 
in  the  gratitude  of  faith  he  planted,  at  the  spot  where  Abimelech 
had  solicited  his  friendship  and  accepted  his  gifts,  a  tamarind 
to  the  honor  of  the  ever-faithful  God"  (Delitzsch) ;  m  the  stead- 
fastness and  conquering  power  of  faith  he  shows  himself  equal 
to  the  severest  test,  the  sacrifice  of  his  son;  in  the  assurance 
of  faith  he  secures  for  himself  a  family  burial  place;  in  the 
fidelity  of  faith  he  refused  to  take  a  wife  for  his  son  from  the 


328  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

women  of  Canaan;  rich  in  faith  he  is  gathered  with  his  fathers 
— a  true  "father  of  the  faithful". — It  is  a  beautiful  sight,  and 
one  that  gives  joy  to  the  heart,  when  the  children  are  conversant 
with  the  details  of  the  passion  and  death  of  our  Savior,  when 
every  feature  of  this  "story  of  stories"  is  impressed  upon  their 
memory;  but,  in  spite  of  such  commendable  faithfulness  in  little 
things,  the  catechist  has  radically  come  short  of  his  task  if  he 
has  not  accomplished  something  better  in  the  souls  of  the  chil- 
dren than  a  horror  of  "those  mean  Jews".  Instead  of  that,  the 
result  of  the  contemplation  of  all  these  stations  on  the  way  of 
suffering  must  be  an  inward  "revelation"  of  both  the  holiness 
and  the  love  of  God.  A  revelation  of  the  holiness  of  God. 
in  that  the  fact  has  been  engraven  upon  the  minds  of  the  chil- 
dren with  indelible  characters  and  a  precision  not  permitting 
the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  that  our  God  is  a  holy  God,  who  does 
not  abate  or  barter  one  iota  of  His  demands;  that  they  may 
feel  something  of  the  terror  conveyed  in  the  words  :  "It  is  a 
fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God";  for 
realities  of  the  most  terrible  kind  are  His  wrath  and  judgment. 
The  revelation  of  the  love  of  God,  in  that  the  catechist  with- 
draws the  veil,  as  it  were,  by  his  instruction,  disclosing  the  fa- 
therly love  of  God  to  His  human  children  as  the  throbbing  heart 
in  these  stories,  so  that  the  souls  of  the  children  may  be  grasped 
and  won  by  this  love. — Compare  "Wartburg  Lesson  Helps"  II, 
especially  the  Intermediate  and  Junior  Grades. 

Notwithstanding,  in  spite  of  the  large  space  thus 
accorded  to  Biblical  History  in  the  curriculum  of  reli- 
gious instruction,  the  object  of  the  course  in  Biblical 
History  has  not  been  set  forth  yet  adequately,  although 
prevailing  conditions  may  restrict  the  teacher  to  what 
has  been  dealt  with  thus  far.  After  a  careful  individual 
treatment  of  the  Bible  stories ;  after  combining  them,  to 
the  extent  necessary,  for  the  purpose  of  portraying 
Bible  characters ;  after  forming  them  into  groups  (His- 
tory of  Creation,  History  of  the  Patriarchs,  History  of 
Moses,  and  The  Establishment  of  the  Nation  of  Israel), 
the  groups  themselves  will  have  to  be  combined  into  a 


Biblical  History  329 

final  unit,  in  order  to  construct  a  history  of  salvation. 
The  object  of  such  grouping  is  not  to  arrange  a  history 
of  the  kingdom  of  God,  which  would  be  beyond  the 
scope  of  juvenile  instruction,  but  merely  a  history  of 
salvation.  This  would  show  the  historic  development 
to  which  the  congregation  of  the  faithful  owes  the  sal- 
vation in  which  it  rejoices  at  this  day,  and  which  should 
become  a  conscious  possession  of  the  adolescent  youth 
as  well.  Accorded  such  treatment  as  here  described, 
the  several  stones  lose  their  disjointed  character;  they 
will  rather  appear  as  links  of  one  unbroken  chain;  they 
will  have  but  one  object,  that  is,  our  salvation.  The 
grace  of  God,  which  for  thousands  of  years,  never 
swerved  from  its  one  purpose,  namely,  our  salvation,  in 
spite  of  the  obstacles  put  in  its  way  by  the  sin  of  man, 
until  it  victoriously  achieved  that  purpose  upon  the 
cross,  and  which  unwearyingly  sought  both  Jews  and 
Gentiles,  in  order  to  grant  them  the  salvation  which  it 
had  thus  secured, — this  grace  of  God  will  thus  more  and 
more  be  magnified  in  the  eyes  of  the  young  (cf.  Micah 
7,  18;  Isaiah  40,  9) ;  more  and  more  precious  this  salva- 
tion will  appear  to  them;  they  will  perceive  something 
of  the  enormousness  of  the  sin  of  rejecting  Jesus,  in  that 
no  less  a  person  is  rejected  than  He  who  is  the  goal  of  a 
history  ranging  over  many  thousand  years  and  the  start- 
ing-point of  a  new  history,  thus  becoming  the  center  of 
universal  history — the  only  Mediator  between  God  and 
man,  apart  from  whom  there  is  no  salvation.  That  this 
is  of  great  educating  value,  is  undeniable.  With  this 
thought  properly  carried  out,  the  important  truth  forces 
itself  upon  the  youth  that  only  the  Evangelical  Church, 
which  places  sin  and  grace,  grace  and  truth,  "sola  gra- 
tia", "solus  Christus",  "sola  fides",  into  the  center  of 


330  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

faith  and  life,  is  the  orthodox  Church  of  God  upon 
earth ;  for,  ever  since  the  fall,  the  whole  relation  between 
God  and  man  has  ever  turned  upon  these  truths.  Has 
there  been  a  faithful  effort  to  do  justice  to  all  the  Bible 
stories ;  has  due  attention  been  given  to  the  main  les- 
sons involved,  this  final  object  of  instruction  in  Biblical 
History  can  be  attained  even  where  there  is  no  regular 
parochial  school,  as  the  author  knows  from  experience. 

A  few  hints  in  regard  to  such  treatment  may  be  found  ac- 
ceptable. The  period  of  the  Old  Testament  is  divided  into  two 
large  sections :  the  government  of  the  human  race,  and  the 
government  of  the  chosen  people.  We  deal  first  with  the  human 
race  as  a  whole.  It  springs  from  the  one  man  Adam.  He  as 
well  as  Eve  were  at  first  in  fellowship  with  God,  having  been 
created  in  the  image  of  God  and  enjoying  intercourse  with  their 
creator.  They  rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of  His  coming,  and 
in  His  presence  they  felt  blessed;  that  is,  they  had  everything 
needed.  Death  and  evil  did  not  exist,  and  labor  was  known  unly 
as  a  joy.  When  the  time  had  come  that  their  fellowship  with  God 
was  to  become  a  permanent  blessing,  they  decided  against  God. 
Essence  of  sin.  Thus  the  fellowship  with  God  has  been  lost 
by  them:  they  are  ashamed;  they  are  filled  with  fear  (opposite 
of  blessing);  they  lie.  God  must' punish  sin;  for  He  is  the  holy 
One.  Punishment  is  inflicted  as  previously  announced ;  words  to 
the  serpent,  to  the  woman,  to  the  man :  pain  and  submission ; 
bodily  death;  expulsion  from  paradise  as  the  place  of  the  pre- 
sence of  God;  subjected  to  Satan's  power,  lost,  condemned. — 
But  God  is  also  gracious;  in  His  grace  He  seeks  the  sinner;  in 
grace  He  points  out  to  him  a  blessed  future;  the  word  of  the 
"seed  of  woman"  is  broad  enough  to  bear  in  its  bosom  all  future 
salvation.  Satan  thought  that  he  had  gotten  humanity  into 
his  power  forever;  but  the  "seed  of  woman"  shall  resist  him. 
Conflict  arises.  However,  it  would  be  without  prospect  of  vic- 
tory were  it  not  for  the  grace  of  God,  which,  in  the  person  of  a 
descendant  of  woman,  shall  vanquish  Satan  and  achieve  deliv- 
erance. 

Without  murmuring  and  complaint,  that  is,  in  repentance, 
Adam   and    Eve    submit   to   the   penalty    inflicted,   believing   the 


Biblical  History  331 

word  of  promise  (cf.  the  naming  of  the  first-born  son).  That 
was  their  solace  amid  the  toil  and  grief  on  earth,  which  had 
become  a  vale  of  tears.  In  the  midst  of  the  carnal  life,  accord- 
ingly, a  life  of  faith  took  its  beginning.  At  the  same  time 
the  example  of  Adam  and  Eve  typify  for  us  the  laying  hold 
of  the  grace  of  God.  But  this  faith  coupled  with  repentance 
does  not  at  once  pass  over  to  the  children ;  they  rather  inherit 
sin.  Proof:  Cain  and  his  family.  From  such  a  generation 
the  one  who  was  to  bruise  the  serpent  could  not  arise.  While 
Seth  is  godly,  there  is  also  here  growth  of  sin,  so  that  Lamech 
longs  for  the  Redeemer  with  all  the  greater  intensity.  Of  both 
branches  of  the  human  race  it  is  true :  My  Spirit  shall  not 
strive  with  man  forever,  for  that  he  also  is  flesh.  From  such 
a  race  the  possibility  of  redemption  is  shut  out :  it  is  ripe  for 
destruction.     Deluge. 

Notwithstanding  the  Redeemer  was  to  arise  from  among  the 
offspring  of  woman.  For  this  reason.  God,  eternally  faithful, 
preserves  Noah  and  his  family.  For  a  second  time  the  whole 
human  race  is  to  develop  from  one  man.  Will  it  be  more  godly 
and  lay  hold  of  the  promise  in  faith?  So  it  would  seem;  for 
Noah  consecrated  the  renewed  earth  with  a  sacrifice.  But  the 
new  earth  becomes  for  the  new  ancestor  an  occasion  of  temp- 
tation, and  a  second  fall  is  enkindled  by  his  sin.  In  one  of  his 
sons  the  sin  of  the  destroyed  race  has  maintained  itself  to  a 
horrifying  degree  and  propagated  itself  over  the  new  earth. 
What  is  to  become  of  the  race  when  the  mocking  of  the  father 
becomes  a  practise  and  unchastity  passes  unrebuked?  Noah 
understands  the  situation  and  pronounces  a  curse  upon  Ham 
and  his  family.  Now  the  Redeemer  is  restricted  to  Shem  and, 
Japhcth.  While  Shem  was  destined  to  be  the  ancestor  of  the 
Redeemer,  Japheth  was  to  partake  of  the  blessings  of  Shem. 
As,  in  the  beginning,  there  is  a  word  of  grace  for  the  race  de- 
scended from  Adam,  so  there  is  another  word  of  grace  for  that 
descended  from  Noah;  for  God  is  exceedingly  rich  in  mercy. — 
Once  more  sin  spreads.  While  the  family  of  Cain  was  its 
nucleus  in  the  old  world,  it  is  Ham's  in  the  new :  Tower  of 
Babel;  Nimrod;  Ashur;  after  the  dispersion  ingratitude,  indif- 
ference to  God;  idolatry.  In  spite  of  the  divine  judgment 
that  had  come  upon  the  world,  such  is  the  consummation  of 
the  history  of  the  race  descended  from  Noah.     It  is  clear  that 


332  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

such  a  race  cannot  be  an  active  redemptive  factor.  It  does  not 
even  suffer  to  be  trained  to  look  for  a  redeemer.  If  the  salva- 
tion of  the  world  is  to  be  accomplished,  it  can  come  forth  from 
God  alone. 

But  will  God  once  more  be  gracious?  Oh.  great  is  His 
mercy ;  He  is  faithful  and  keeps  His  promise.  As,  in  the  first 
generation,  He  preserved  Noah  as  His  seed,  He  now  makes  use 
of  Abraham.  From  him  the  chosen  people  shall  spring, 
through  which  the  blessing  shall  come  upon  peoples.  But  why 
just  Abraham?  Not  because  he  had  deserved  it;  in  free  love 
God  elected  him,  in  order  to  make  him,  through  a  steady  dis- 
cipline of  faith,  an  instrument  fit  for  His  hands.  Here,  again, 
the  divine  promise  of  grace  and  human  faith  stand  correlated, 
in  order  to  impress  upon  us  the  twin  fact :  that  upon  which  our 
salvation  rests,  and  that  which  appropriates  it.  And  what  a 
faith  !  Not  for  nothing  has  Abraham  been  called  a  father  of  the 
faithful.  The  promise  passes  from  Abraham  to  Isaac,  who 
at  his  sacrifice  already  had  disclosed  the  fundamental  disposi- 
tion of  his  heart;  from  Isaac  to  Jacob,  but  not  without  his  being 
disciplined  in  a  hard  school  of  suffering  for  becoming  a  bearer 
of  salvation,  who  relied  less  and  less  upon  his  own  power  and 
wisdom,  and  desired  at  length  but  one  staff  on  which  to  lean: 
the  grace  of  God.  The  promises  are  fulfilled,  but  not  in  a 
straight  line;  that  is.  not  according  to  man's  thoughts.  The 
promised  land  indeed  becomes  the  first  home  for  the  bearers  of 
the  promise :  trusting  in  the  promise  of  God,  Abraham  pur- 
chases here  already  a  family  burial  plot,  whereby  he  lays  his 
hand  in  advance  upon  that  country  as  his  own.  But  the  last  pa- 
triarch is  driven  by  famine  to  Egypt,  prepared  for  his  habita- 
tion by  a  son,  who  had  been  sold  by  his  brethren,  but  elevated 
by  God  to  the  threshold  of  the  throne.  With  his  gaze  upon  the 
promised  land  and  thus  upon  the  promise,  he  dies  with  the 
words  :  "I  have  waited  for  Thy  salvation,  O  Jehovah" ;  but  not 
before  he  had  pointed  out  in  prophetic  vision  Judah  as  the  One 
from   whom  the   Redeemer  should   come,   the   Prince   of   Peace. 

Jacob's  family  was  led  to  Egypt,  in  order  to  develop  into  a 
nation.  Bui  lest  prosperity  should  cause  it  to  forget  the  promise, 
and  to  look  upon  Egypt  as  its  home,  the  favor  of  the  kings  of 
Egypt  turns  to  hostility;  beneath  dire  oppression  it  is  to  become 
mindful  of  the  God  of  its  fathers  and  to  feel  desire  for  the  de- 


Biblical  History  333 

liverer.  And,  behold,  God  appoints  one  of  Jacob's  offspring 
as  the  deliverer  of  the  people.  He  saves  him  from  death  in  a 
miraculous  manner,  trains  him  to  become  His  instrument  at  the 
royal  court  and  in  the  wilderness,  and  appoints  him  solemnly 
as  the  deliverer  of  his  people.  Amid  mighty  signs  and  wonders, 
which  are  to  prove  that  the  God  of  the  fathers  and  of  the  prom- 
ise, in  spite  of  four  centuries  of  silence,  is  the  only  true  God, 
Moses  leads  Israel  out  of  the  house  of  bondage :  rescued,  it 
can  chant  a  hymn  of  praise  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea.  In- 
deed, Moses  was  a  deliverer  of  his  people;  not  the  true  one, 
however,  but  merely  a  type  of  Him.  Israel  needs  to  be  trained  for 
the  true  deliverer.  Accordingly  God  reveals  it  to  His  Law,  so 
that  it  may  behold  His  holiness  and  in  it,  as  in  a  mirror,  its 
own  sin.  And  lest  it  should  be  driven  to  despair  under  the  Law, 
God,  through  a  system  of  sacrifices,  directs  it  to  Him  who  is  the 
bearer  of  the  true  sacrifice.  As  a  type  of  a  future  reality,  fel- 
lowship is  made  between  God  and  this  people,  chosen  for  the 
purpose  from  among  the  nations.  But  the  generation  first  de- 
livered will  not  permit  itself  to  be  trained,  and  perishes  in  the 
wilderness.  The  new  generation,  though  it  sins  often  and 
grievously,  is  notwithstanding,  on  the  whole,  a  different  people. 
For  this  reason,  Moses,  as  Balaam  before  him,  is  permitted  to 
pronounce  a  blessing  upon  it  and  to  renew  the  covenant  pro- 
mise of  Him  of  whom  he  was  merely  a  type.  In  such  circum- 
stances Joshua  is  allowed  to  lead  Israel  out  of  the  wilderness 
into  the  promised  land,  a  type  of  Him  who  is  to  lead  into  a 
land  of  rest. 

As  Moses  before  him,  Joshua  exacted  the  promise  from 
the  people  not  to  mingle  its  blood  with  that  of  the  pagan  na- 
tions;  but  Israel  did  not  keep  its  promise;  oppressed  now  by  this 
cation  now  by  that,  it  had  to  realize  that  the  true  deliverer  had 
not  yet  appeared.  Whenever  Israel  repented.  God  gave  it  a 
temporary  deliverer.  Thus  it  came  that  the  judges,  without  ex- 
ception, became  types  of  the  true  deliverer.  All  these  had  been 
set  over  Israel  by  God ;  but  when,  eventually,  it  desires  a  ruler 
after  its  own  heart,  it  receives  Saul,  who  contrary  to  his  early 
promise,  does  not  prove  the  right  man,  since  he  does  not  perse- 
vere in  faith  and  obedience  to  the  end.  Then  God  elects  a  man 
after  His  own  heart,  obscure  and  lowly,  the  descendant  of  shep- 
herd folk,  but  godly  and  with  a  heart  emboldened  by  faith.    Like 


334  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

all  His  servants,  God  trains  him  in  the  school  of  suffering,  mak- 
ing him,  the  training  completed,  a  mighty  king  in  Israel,  who 
saves  it  from  all  its  enemies,  widens  its  boundaries,  fills  its 
treasury,  receives  tribute  from  neighboring  kings,  and  trans- 
fers the  tabernacle,  the  habitation  of  God,  to  Jerusalem.  If 
at  any  time,  it  is  now  that  the  thought  might  be  entertained  in 
Israel :  the  promised  One  has  come !  David  is  the  true  son  of 
Judah  and  seed  of  woman!  But  his  deep  fall  discloses  the 
fact  that  he  is  not;  yet  Nathan  is  permitted  to  tell  him  that 
the  deliverer  is  to  spring  from  his  body.  Is  it  perhaps  Solo- 
mon, whose  very  name  reminds  one  of  the  Prince  of  Peace, 
whose  ships  traverse  every  sea,  whose  wisdom  is  known  on 
far  away  Araby,  who  is  privileged  to  build  a  temple  for  the 
Lord,  the  habitation  of  His  glory?  Beyond  a  doubt,  there 
were  those  who  believed  this ;  but  when  Solomon  oppressed 
the  people  and  took  Eastern  women  for  wives,  it  became  clear 
that  the  true  son  of  David  and  seed  of  woman  was  still  to 
come. 

When  the  kingdom  was  divided,  and  the  worship  of  calves 
and,  afterward,  in  defiance  of  the  warning  of  Elijah,  the  worship 
of  Baal  was  countenanced  in  the  land ;  and  when  even  Judah 
did  not  follow  the  Lord  faithfully,  it  became  evident  that  Israel's 
nature,  while  it  had  been  kept  in  check  under  David  and  Solo- 
mon, had  not  really  been  renewed.  The  prophets  warn  with 
great  zeal  and  make  an  effort  to  induce  the  people  to  renew 
their  obedience  to  the  law.  The  less  it  shows  itself  inclined  to 
take  to  heart  the  warning  the  more  pronounced  becomes  the 
prophetic  warning  of  the  coming  judgment,  and  the  more  unwav- 
eringly the  eyes  of  the  prophets  are  turned  to  the  future,  from 
which  they  expect  the  deliverer,  pointed  out  by  them  as  such 
with  increasing  certainty.  The  judgment  takes  place;  for  God 
is  not  mocked.  The  Kingdom  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  for  its  excep- 
tional hardness  of  heart,  is  led  captive  to  Ashur;  Judah,  better 
than  the  sister  kingdom  of  Israel,  but  yet  exceedingly  wicked, 
is  exiled  to  Babylonia,  after  it  had  shown  its  unwillingness  to 
heed  the  call  to  repentance  issued  by  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah,  and 
to  profit  by  the  example  of  Israel.  Because  it  was  not  to  perish 
utterly — for  God  is  faithful  to  His  promise  and  gracious  above 
all  that  we  ask  or  think— there  are  given  to  it  the  prophets 
Ezechiel  and  Daniel,  and  Isaiah's  book  of  comfort  becomes  its 


Biblical  History  335 

stay.  Nor  has  it  been  thrown  into  the  crucible  in  vain  :  it  learns 
to  pray  and  cry  to  its  God.  Accordingly,  God,  in  His  faith- 
fulness and  grace,  restores  a  remnant,  with  a  member  of  David's 
house  at  the  head.  After  the  return,  it  makes  a  covenant  with 
God,  becoming  the  people  of  the  Law,  which,  at  least  outward- 
ly, clings  to  the  covenant  of  Sinai.  Idolatry  is  done  away 
with.  The  people  is  to  experience  its  deliverance  from 
Babylon  as  the  last  great  type  of  the  great  redemption  pro- 
mised, for  which  also  Malachi,  after  the  exile,  looks  to  the 
future.  In  the  subsequent  period  three  classes  gradually  develop 
among  the  people :  the  Saducees,  who  pay  little  attention  to  the 
prophets  and  are  given  to  compromises  with  the  world;  the 
Pharisees,  who  observe  the  Law,  but  are  strangers  to  its  spirit 
and  expect  to  realize  their  own  glory  in  the  expected  Messianic 
kingdom;  but  also  a  throng  of  the  quiet  in  the  land,  by  no 
means  negligible  in  number,  who  look  for  the  hope  of  Israel, 
such  as  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth  his  wife,  Simeon  and  Hannah, 
Joseph  and  Mary,  the  shepherds  in  the  field.  These,  living  in 
the  prophets,  are  full  of  hope  and  faith.  Zachariah  utters  this 
faith  in  his  Magnificat,  while  Mary  makes  it  the  theme  of  her 
song  in  Elizabeth's  house.  These  constituted  the  fruit  of  Is- 
rael's training  at  the  hands  of  God.  Now  the  time  was  ful- 
filled, and  God  kept  His  promise. 

As  of  old,  angels  appeared — a  sign  that  something  great 
was  impending.  The  forerunner  is  promised;  the  birth  of  the 
Redeemer  Himself  is  announced.  The  birth  of  John  is  war- 
rant of  the  truth  of  the  words  spoken  to  Mary.  In  this  connec- 
tion we  come  once  more  upon  the  old  principle:  God  promises; 
man  must  appropriate  the  promise  in  faith.  In  Bethlehem  the 
Savior  is  born;  angel  lips  proclaim  the  fact.  He  is  the  promised 
Christ,  or  Messiah;  and  He  can  be  Savior  because  He  is,  at 
the  same  time,  Lord.  Here  is  the  goal  of  the  whole  movement : 
God  Himself  becomes  man,  in  order  to  bring  about  a  true  de- 
liverance. The  Son  of  God  and  the  "Seed  of  Woman"— all 
events  are  henceforth  under  the  dominance  of  that  fact.  A 
human  child  He  is  born;  yet  the  angels  are  stirred  by  His  birth. 
Like  any  other  child  in  Israel,  He  is  circumcised  and  presented 
in  the  temple;  yet  wonderful  words  are  they  which  Simeon 
deems  it  proper  to  speak  of  Him.  The  Son  of  God,  He  is 
worshiped   by   the    wise   men;    yet   as    a   poor   human   child    He 


336  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

must  take  flight  before  Herod.  Wonderful  words  He  speaks 
in  the  temple  concerning  His  fellowship  with  God;  yet,  as  a 
true  son  He  deports  Himself  in  the  parental  home  in  Naza- 
reth Matured  in  solitude,  He  is  yet  saluted  as  his  superior 
by  John  the  Baptist,  who  already  has  prepared  the  way  before 
Him;  yea,  proclaimed  by  God  as  Hi-s  own  son.  As  he  steps 
into  Jordan,  he  proclaims,  as  by  an  object  lesson,  that  He  shall 
fulfill  all  righteousness  and  become  the  deliverer,  even  though 
it  will  be  necessary  to  step  into  the  waters  of  suffering  as,  at 
the  time  being,   into  those  of  Jordan. 

Tested  in  temptation  as  the  future  deliverer,  He  gathers 
about  Him  His  first  disciples,  who,  without  exception,  recog- 
nize Him  as  the  promised  Messiah.  He  enters  upon  His  re- 
demptive ofrlce  with  the  proclamation  that  He  is  come  to  es- 
tablish the  promised  Kingdom  of  God,  in  which  deliverance 
can  be  found  from  each  and  every  ill,  from  sin,  death,  and  the 
devil.  Through  His  miracles  He  proves  that  He  really  can 
work  such  deliverance,  requiring,  however,  as  inalienable  con- 
dition of  entering  His  kingdom,  regeneration,  faith;  that  is, 
the  firm  confidence,  that  He  alone  is  the  true  savior  and  deliv- 
erer. That  is  the  reason  that  the  word  occurs  with  such  fre- 
quency, "Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee" — a  condition  that  He  Him- 
self fulfills  in  man;  the  instrument  at  His  hand  for  the  produc- 
tion of  faith  is  His  message  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  faith 
resulting  from  His  miracles  is  designed  as  a  stepping-stone 
to  a  personal  relation  with  Himself.  Who  thus  has  entered  His 
kingdom  through  faith  is  blessed,  even  in  the  midst  of  tribula- 
tion; and  a  new  life  is  expected  of  him  by  Christ  as  the  at- 
testation of  his  faith  (Sermon  on  the  Mount).  But  this  faith, 
the  rulers  and  the  larger  part  of  the  people  will  not  permit  to 
be  wrought  in  their  hearts;  for  they  believe  in  their  self-right- 
eousness that  the  only  deliverance  needed  was  that  from  the 
hands  of  the  Romans.  Their  enmity  aroused,  they  decide  to 
kill  Him.  The  fact  is  expressed  in  Caesarea  Philippi  that  He  is 
recognized  by  but  few  as  the  true  deliverer  and  Son  of  God. 
For  that  reason  Jesus  begins  to  proclaim  His  impending  pas- 
sion, for  which  He  as  well  as  His  disciples  receive  strength 
through  the  transfiguration.  In  order  to  carry  out  His  pur- 
pose that  has  brought  Him  into  the  world,  He  goes  to  Judea, 
where  the  resolution  of  the  Pharisees  to  kill  Him  is  confirmed 


Biblical  History  337 

by  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus.  Permitting  Himself  to  be 
anointed,  He  interprets  such  act  as  an  earnest  of  His  impending 
burial.  He  presents  Himself  in  Jerusalem  as  a  sheep  for  the 
slaughter;  but  not  without  demonstrating  once  more  by  the 
manner  of  His  entry  that  He  is  the  promised  King.  He  weeps 
over  Jerusalem,  which  does  not  know  the  things  that  belong 
to  its  peace;  He  cleanses  the  temple;  He  accosts,  for  the  last 
time,  the  Pharisees,  earnestly  impressing  for  the  last  time, 
in  the  parable  of  the  workers  in  the  vineyard,  upon  their  hearts 
the  Father's,  love  and  their  contemptuous  reply  to  it,  and  silen- 
cing them  by  the  question,  Whose  son  is  Christ?  He  prophesies 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the  end  of  the  world,  and  final 
judment,  always  inviting  the  hearers  to  faith.  He  celebrates 
His  last  Passah  with  the  disciples;  He  unmasks  the  traitor; 
and,  certain  of  the  redemptive  character  of  His  impending 
death,  He  distributes  His  body,  which  is  to  be  given  into  death, 
and  His  blood,  which  is  to  be  shed  in  death,  in  order  thereupon 
to  enter  upon  His  great  suffering,  through  which  the  fact  of  His 
being  the  true  deliverer  is  to  be  fully  revealed. 

As  our  substitute,  He  takes  upon  Himself  the  burden  of  the 
whole  world's  sin  together  with  the  wrath  of  God.  He  surren- 
ders to  His  enemies  in  order  to  fulfill  the  Scriptures,  but  not 
without  first  having  revealed  Himself  as  the  Almighty  One, 
who  voluntarily  goes  into  death.  His  heart  is  set  on  Calvary, 
in  order  to  bring  about  the  consummation  of  His  redemptive, 
work.  With  that  end  in  view,  He  permits  Himself  to  be 
sentenced  to  death  and  to  be  led  to  Calvary;  with  that  end  in 
view,  He  distributes  from  the  cross  eternal  mansions,  asks  for 
forgiveness  in  behalf  of  His  murderers,  suffers  Himself  to  be 
forsaken  by  God,  dies  for  the  human  race,  shouting  in  the 
strength  of  death  the  word  of  victory,  "It  is  finished".  Yes,  re- 
demption was  finished:  performed  was  the  sacrifice:  fulfilled 
were  the  Scriptures;  bruised  was  the  head  of  the  Serpent, 
although  His  own  heel  was  bruised  in  the  process  !  The  goal 
of  the  whole  history  of  mankind  down  from  the  Proto-Gospel, 
the  antitype  of  Moses,  Joshua,  and  David,  and  of  all  the  sacri- 
ficial lambs  of  the  Old  Covenant— we  find  them  in  the  Cruci- 
fied One.  Here  all  threads  converge.  How  great  and  world- 
embracing  the  work  of  our  Redeemer  must  be;  how  great  He 
Himself,  since  in  Him  we  find  consummated  a  time  of  prepara- 


338  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

tion  ranging  over  four  thousand  years;  since  in  Him  is  com- 
prehended  the   salvation   and  hope   of  all   the   world ! 

But  is  He  really  the  Redeemer;  is  the  Father  satisfied  with 
the  sacrifice;  is  the  guilt  of  humanity  really  atoned  for,  that  is, 
covered  in  His  sight?  Yea;  for  on  the  morning  of  Sunday  He 
awakes  Him  from  the  dead :  in  vain  are  seal  and  guards, 
whereby  the  rulers  endeavor  to  keep  life  in  the  grave.  While 
the  rulers  defraud  the  people  of  this  glad  message,  the  Lord 
appears  to  His  disciples,  even  to  doubting  Thomas.  He  assures 
them  of  'the  reality  of  His  resurrection;  He  shows  them  the 
necessity  of  His  passing  through  suffering  and  death  in  order 
to  become  the  Redeemer  of  whom  Moses  and  the  prophets  have 
spoken ;  He  delivers  to  them  as  fruitage  of  His  work  the  mes- 
sage and  the  gift  of  peace  between  God  and  men;  He  receives 
the  confession  that  He  is  God,  who  claims  worship  as  His  due; 
He  restores  the  apostle  to  his  apostolate;  He  shows  the  disciples 
by  the  manner  of  His  coming  and  going  that  the  manner  of  His 
presence  with  them  will  be  changed  thereafter ;  He  commands 
them  to  take  His  Gospel  into  all  the  world  and  to  disciple  all 
nations  through  Baptism  and  teaching,  for  which  purpose  He 
pledges  to  them  His  presence,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
continued  support  at  His  hands  through  miracles.  He  appoints 
them  His  witnesses — witnesses  of  His  death  and  resurrection, 
whereupon  He  ascends  to  heaven,  in  order  to  enter  upon  the 
government  of  the  world  and  to  gather  on  earth,  by  the  Spirit, 
a  congregation  of  the  faithful,  which  is  blessed  through  Him 
and  acknowledges  Him  as  its  Redeemer  and  Lord. 

Such  is  the  conclusion  of  the  first  chief  part  of  the  New 
Testament  story,  which  deals  with  the  life  of  the  Lord.  The 
Lord  keeps  His  promise,  sends  His  Spirit  on  Pentecost,  gathers 
His  disciples  through  Him  into  a  congregation,  or  Church,  and 
imparts  to  them  the  courage  and  joy  to  be  His  disciples.  Peter 
proclaims  the  two  fundamental  facts,  which  now  continue  re- 
sounding in  all  the  sayings  of  the  apostles,  that  Jesus,  through 
suffering,  death,  and  resurrection,  has  become  both  Lord  and 
Christ,  leaving  but  one  condition  of  receiving  at  His  hands  the 
remission  of  sin  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  namely,  repentance  (i.  e., 
sorrow  for  sin,  and  faith  given  by  Himself  through  the  Gospel), 
and  Baptism  in  His  name.  Through  such  preaching  three  thou- 
sand people  are  added  to  the  Church  of  the  disciples,  with  the 


Biblical  History  339 

result  that  the  holy  nation  typified  by  Israel  is  now  estab- 
lished. But  in  order  that  the  impression  shall  not  be  lost,  that 
a  holy  communion  was  in  the  mind  of  God,  Ananias  and 
Sapphira  suffer  a  sudden  death  :  God  Himself  sets  an  example 
of  most  thorough-going  church  discipline,  in  order  to  bring 
about  a  permanent  impression.  But  the  congregation,  like 
its  Lord  and  Master  before  it,  must  pass  through  cross  and  suf- 
fering: there  is  no  kingdom  of  glory  on  earth,  but  only  one  that 
bears  the  cross.  This  is  exemplified  especially  by  Stephen;  but 
also  the  other  truth,  that  true  believers  can  be  full  of  cheer 
even  in  the  midst  of  death,  in  that  their  path  leads  to  Jesus,  who, 
sitting  at  God's  right  hand,  shall  receive  their  souls.  But  even 
persecution,  of  which  the  stoning  of  Stephen  is  only  a  prophecy, 
as  is  the  play  of  lightning  on  the  horizon  of  the  impending 
tempest,  must  become  a  factor  in  promoting  the  spread  of  the 
Christian  Church.  Yea,  the  most  relentless  persecutor  is  con- 
verted by  the  appearance  of  Christ  on  the  way  to  Damascus, 
being  intended  at  the  outset  as  an  apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  How- 
ever, before  the  work  among  the  Gentiles  can  be  begun,  Peter, 
and  the  other  disciples  through  Him,  has  to  be  convinced  that 
also  the  Gentiles  have  been  called  to  membership  in  the  Church 
of  God,  without  first  having  to  become  Jews  through  circum- 
cision. This  is  effected  through  a  special  revelation  in  Joppa 
and  an  object  lesson  in  the  house  of  Cornelius.  It  is  Paul 
who,  upon  his  missionary  journeys,  takes  the  Gospel  to  the 
Gentiles,  observing  meanwhile  how  the  Jews  spurn  the  Sa- 
vior. Such  rejection  spurs  him  on  to  greater  devotions  to  the 
Gentiles.  In  this  way  he  goes  as  far  as  Rome,  in  order  to  sound 
in  the  capital  of  the  world  the  message  of  Him  through  whom 
fellowship  has  been  established  between  God  and  the  whole 
human  race,  and  in  whom  everyone  that  lays  hold  of  Him  in 
faith,  shall  have  life,  and  have  it  abundantly.  The  history  of 
salvation  finds  its  consummation  in  a  congregation  of  believers, 
composed  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  in  which  the  Gospel  of  the  free 
grace  of  God  in  Christ  is  sounded;  i  e.,  it  eventuates  in  a 
congregation  bearing  all  the  marks  found  in  the  Evangelical- 
Lutheran  Church  of  today;  for  the  true  greatness  of  our  Church 
consists  in  this,  that  the  Gospel  of  Christ  the  only  Savior  is 
preached  within  her  in   its   purity. 

It  is  the  merit  of  Augustine  to  be  first  clearly  to  recognize 


340  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

the  necessity  for  instruction  in  the  history  of  salvation  (cf 
pages  31 — 32).  More  recently  one  of  its  warmest  advocates, 
both  in  theory  and  practise,  has  been  Buchrucker  who,  in  turn, 
was  influenced  by  the  theology  of  Hofmann,  which  conforms 
throughout  to  the  history  of  salvation.  Cf.,  in  addition  to  above 
sketch,   Buchrucker's   Catechetics,   Pages    142  ff. ;   222  ff. 

Turned  to  account  in  the  manner  here  described,  it 
is  manifest  that  instruction  in  Biblical  History  must 
cease  to  be  merely  ancillary  to  the  teaching  of  the  Cate- 
chism, and  to  be  used  merely  as  a  welcome  collection  of 
stories  to  illustrate  its  truths.  It  rather  occupies  the 
same  level  with  the  Catechism  as  an  independent  factor. 
Instruction  in  Biblical  History  is  to  be  given  before 
there  is  specific  instruction  in  the  Catechism;  from  the 
seventh  to  the  fourteenth  year  it  should  be  given  in 
every  grade.  Treated  in  connection  with  "Introduction 
to  the  Bible",  and  from  the  view-point  of  a  history  of 
salvation  it  is  to  be  recommended  even  for  the  con- 
firmed; compare  the  Senior  Department  of  the  "Wart- 
burg  Lesson  Helps".  Biblical  History,  and  again  Bibli- 
cal History,  must  be  our  motto;  but  Biblical  History 
taught  in  the  right  manner — according  to  principles  as 
here  elaborated.  With  the  right  sort  of  treatment,  es- 
pecially when  the  truths  drawn  from  the  several  stories, 
or  groups  of  stories,  are  arrayed  in  the  conventional 
words  of  the  Catechism  (cf.  Wartburg  Lesson  Helps 
II.,  Intermediate  and  Junior  Grades),  instruction  in  the 
Catechism  will  not  lose,  but  rather  gain,  it  will  become 
easier  and  more  effective. 

26.     The  Catechism. 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  II1  (Der  Katechismus),  1864.— K.  Buch- 
rucker (pp.  119—135),  1889.— E.  Sachsse  (pp.  338—365),  1897.— 
F.  Zange  (pp.  73—142),  1897.— A.  Eckert  (pp.  36—47;  53—55; 
116—163").    1899.— O.    Baumgarten    (pp.   68—72;   82—84).    1903.— 


The  Catechism  341 

J.  Gottschick  (pp.  142—158),  1908.— J.  Berndt  (pp.  59—68;  99 
-105).  1909.— R.  Kubisch  (pp.  137—139;  240—246),  1910.— E. 
Chr.  Achelis  (pp.  420—443),  31911.— A.  Rude  (pp.  100—117), 
'-1912.— Chr.  Buerckstuemmer  (pp.  157—169),  1913.— J.  Stein- 
beck (pp.  201—218),  1914.— K.  Knoke,  Ueber  Katechismusunter- 
richt. 1886.  G.  Heimerdinger,  Zur  Reform  des  Katechismus- 
unterrichts, 1890. — G.  v.  Rohden,  Ueber  christozentrische  Be- 
handlung des  lutli.  Katechismus,  1891.— L.  Schultze,  Katecheti- 
sche Bausteine  z.  Religionsunterricht  i.  Schuie  u  Kirche,  -"1891. 
—A.  Braasch,  Reform  d.  Religionsunterrichts  i.  d.  Volksschule, 
1891. — Malo,  Zur  Katechismusfrage  gegen  von  Rohden,  1892. — 
W.  Bornemann,  Der  zweite  Artikel  im  Lutherschen  kleinen 
Katechismus,  1893. — G.  Voigt,  Die  Bedeutung  des  christl.  Re- 
ligionsunterrichts, 1895.— J.  D.  von  der  Heydt,  Der  Religions- 
unterricht in  Schule  und  Kirche,  1896. — S.  Bang,  Katechetische 
Bausteine  z.  christozentrischen  Behandlung  d.  1.  Hauptstuecks, 
-1897. — K.  Just,  Der  abschliessende  Katechismusunterricht,  1896 
— 07. — A.  Eckert,  Die  Formalstufen  im  Katechismusunterricht 
(Ev.  Schulblatt),  1898.— F.  H.  Kahle,  Der  Kleine  Katechismus 
L's..  1!,19C2.— G.  v.  Rohden,  Ein  Wort  zur  Katechismusfrage, 
M902.— H.  Brammer,  Neue  Bahnen  f.  d.  Religionsunterricht, 
1900  u.  1903.— R.  Staude,  Katechismusunterricht,  1903.— S.  Bang, 
Zur  Reform  d.  Katechismusunterrichts,  1904. — M.  Reu,  Explana- 
tion of  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  1905. — A.  Auffahrt,  Die  religi- 
oese  Frage  und  die  Schule,  1905. — A.  Reukauf,  Didaktik  d.  ev. 
Religionsunterrichts  i.  d.  Volksschule,  1906.— R.  Staude,  Das 
8.  Schuljahr,  31907. — R.  Hempel,  Zum  Katechismusunterricht, 
•■1907.— H.  Huebner,  Wie  laesst  sich  der  Katechismusunterricht 
einfach,  interessant  und  fruchtbar  gestalten,  1907. — H.  Huebner, 
Was  der  kleine  Katechismus  fuer  ein  grosser  Schatz  ist,  1907. 
— A.  Richter,  Religionsunterricht  oder  nicht,  1908. — Arzt,  Welche 
Maengel  zeigt  der  gegenwaertige  Religionsunterricht  und  auf 
welche  Weise  ist  ihnen  zu  begegnen.  1908. — W.  Rein,  Stimmen 
zur  Reform  des  Religionsunterrichts,  190-4 — 1908.— Die  Umge- 
staltung des  Religionsunterrichts  i.  d.  saechsischen  Volksschu- 
len. Her.  v.  Vorstand  d.  saechsischen  Lehrervereins.  1908. — 
Pfeiffer,  Der  Sturmlauf  gegen  die  Zwickauer  Thesen,  1909. — 
Th.  Franke,  Der  Kampf  um  den  Religionsunterricht.  1909.— S. 
Bang,  Luthers  Kleiner  Katechismus  ein  Kleinod  der  Volks- 
schule. 1909.— J.  W.  Horine,  The  Catechist's  Handbook,   1909.— 


342  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

H.  Matthes,  Neue  Bahnen  f.  d.  Unterricht  in  Luth.  Katechis- 
mus, 1909.— F.  Rendtorff,  Das  Problem  der  Konfirmation  und 
des  Religionsunterrichts  i.  d.  Volksschule,  1910. — G.  Rietschel, 
Zur  Reform  d.  Religionsunterrichts  i.  d.  Schule,  1909. — E. 
Sachsse,  Zur  Reform  des  Religionsunterrichts  in  der  Volks- 
schule, 1909.— F.  Niebergall,  Biblische  Geschichte,  Katechis- 
mus, Gesangbuch,  1910. — H.  Matthes,  Der  Religionsunterricht  i. 
Dienste  d.  Erziehung  innerhalb  d.  relig.  Gemeinschaft,  1910. — 
F.  Eberhard,  Der  Katechismus  als  paedagogisches  Problem, 
1912. — B.  Doerries,  Erklaerung  d.  kl.  Katechismus.  Ein  Bei- 
trag zur  Reform  d.  Religionsunterrichts:  10  Gebote,  21912;  der 
Glaube,  51912.— K.  Eger,  Evang.  Jugendlehre,  21912.— Th.  Kaf- 
tan, Auslegung  d.  luth.  Katechismus,  61913. — M.  Reu,  Die  grosse 
Bedeutung  des  kleinen  Katechismus  Luthers,   1913. 

If  instruction  in  Biblical  History  is  what  is  should 
be,  it  is  likely  to  exhibit  the  norms  of  a  true  Christian 
life  in  the  present  through  the  knowledge  afforded  by 
it  of  the  past.  In  this  way  much  of  what  is  taught  in 
the  Catechism  has  already  been  anticipated.  Notwith- 
standing, instruction  in  the  former  should  by  all  means 
be  supplemented  by  specific  instruction  in  the  latter,  for 
the  reason  that  the  truths  diffused  through  Biblical  His- 
tory and  gained  only  by  means  of  inference,  require  to 
be  combined  into  groups  and  to  be  turned  to  account 
from  one  and  the  same  point  of  view.  To  crowd  out 
the  Catechism  as  an  independent  factor,  would  be  put- 
ting contempt  upon  historic  development  as  it  has  taken 
place  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  would  be 
putting  contempt  upon  the  catechetical  labors  of  the 
Church  for  a  period  ranging  over  almost  two  thousand 
years ;  would  be  an  undervaluing  of  the  revelation 
through  the  Word  and  those  parts  of  Scripture  not 
strictly  historical — of  the  New  Testament  particularly; 
would  be,  last  but  not  least,  a  pedagogic  mistake  of  far- 
reaching  consequences,  in  that  the  youth  of  the  Church 


The  Catechism  343 

as  well  as  the  common  people  require  brief,  compact 
sentences,  in  which  the  most  important  elements  of  what 
they  may  and  should  believe  are  summarized,  and  which 
are  able  to  serve,  at  any  time,  as  medium  of  orientation. 
This  much  is  certain:  if  there  were  no  Catechism,  one 
would  have  to  be  created. 

But  that  does  not  dispose  of  the  question  whether 
Luther's  Small  Catechism  is  a  compilation  by  which 
justice  is  done  to  the  due  requirements  of  the  present. 
In  our  time  this  is  largely  denied  with  great  vehemence. 
It  is  gladly  conceded  that,  in  the  past,  it  was  entitled 
to  great  consideration,  and  that  it  has  left  many  bles- 
sings in  its  wake.  For  this  reason  there  is  no  objection 
to  recognizing  it  as  a  significant  historic  monument  of 
the  Evangelical  Church.  But  as  medium  of  instruction 
for  the  young  it  is  either  decisively  repudiated  or  largely 
emptied  of  its  contents.  The  misgivings  felt  as  to  the 
employment  of  Luther's  Catechism  in  the  instruction 
of  the  young  are  both  dogmatical  and  pedagogic.  So 
far  as  those  of  a  dogmatical  character  pertain  to  the 
Evangelical  faith  as  expressed  in  the  Catechism,  we  pass 
them  by ;  for  the  opponents  have  gradually  acquired 
sufficient  honesty  to  admit  that  the  expression  of  the 
Evangelical  faith  as  found  in  the  Catechism  tallies  per- 
fectly with  that  of  the  New  Testament.  That  being  the 
case,  it  is  fully  adequate,  in  that  we  desire,  neither  for 
our  own  person  nor  for  the  instruction  of  the  adolescent 
youth,  any  other  expression  of  Christianity  than  that 
laid  down  in  the  New  Testament,  especially  if  it  is  found 
as  unmixed  with  scholastic  opinions  and  as  simple  as 
is  the  case  here  (pages  120 — 124).  Different  are  the 
misgivings  uttered  from  the  standpoint  of  pedagogics 
and    those   of    a    dogmatical    character   which    are   not 


344  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

based  upon  opposition  to  Holy  Writ.  It  is  for  us  to 
examine  these  in  regard  to  their  correctness  and  bear- 
ings. 

We  concede  from  the  outset  that  the  Small  Catechism  has 
often  been  handled,  and  is  still  handled,  in  such  a  way  as  to 
strike  all  healthy  pedagogic  requirements  in  the  face.  When 
children  are  made  to  commit  it  to  memory  at  a  stage  of  life 
when  they  are  not  yet  disciplined  for  the  task;  when  it  is  taught 
to  the  young  without,  in  the  very  least,  the  way  having  been 
paved  for  its  appropriation  by  the  memory;  when  its  material 
is  not  properly  outlined  and  the  teacher  thus  fails  to  show 
his  pupils  the  inner  structure  of  the  component  parts;  when 
the  explanation  fails  to  shed  the  needed  light  upon  it  from  the 
characters  cf  Sacred  History  and  to  connect  it  with  the  fresh, 
throbbing  life  of  the  present;  when  the  catechist  becomes  a 
lecturer,  who,  in  addition,  lectures  beyond  the  scope  of  the  cate- 
chism, and  thus  prevents  the  children  from  feeling  anything 
of  his  own  religious  life;  when,  by  adducing  features  from  ihe 
history  of  salvation,  the  attempt  is  made  to  make  it  something 
that  it  was  never  designed  to  be;  when  it  is  enlarged  into  a 
textbook  of  dogmatics,  whereby  its  own  fresh  life  is  choked : — 
in  all  such  cases  the  hour  for  catechization  may,  indeed,  become 
one  of  torment  for  the  children,  and  the  bond  between  the 
Church  and  her  young  may,  in  consequence,  be  loosed  rather 
than  strengthened.  But  is  Luther's  Catechism — this  "golden 
gem",  to  be  made  responsible  when  it  is  maltreated  and,  in  con- 
sequence, made  a  martyr?  Is  the  Catechism  to  be  blamed  for 
being  accorded  a  treatment  radically  in  conflict  with  its  unique 
character? 

When  it  is  further  said  that  the  the  First  Chief  Part  is  not 
suited  as  a  fundamental  element  in  the  evangelical  instruction 
of  the  young,  in  that,  through  the  incorporation  in  it  of  the 
Mosaic  Decalogue,  the  children  are  led  back  to  a  pre-Christian 
standpoint  by  being  taught  Old  Testament,  instead  of  New  Tes- 
tament, ethics,  the  Catechism  once  more  is  made  to  shoulder 
a  reproach  deserved  by  its  interpreters.  Luther's  explanation 
has  so  thoroughly  infused  New  .Testament  life  into  the  Old 
Testament  commandments  as  to  constitute  this  one  of  the  great- 
est advantages  of  his  Catechism.     This  matter  has  been  treated 


The  Catechism  345 

at  length  on  previous  pages  (108 — 111),  which  leaves  but  one 
fact  to  be  added  here,  caused  by  the  present  form  of  the  First 
Chief  Part.  In  distinction  from  Luther's  Catechism,  especially 
through  the  influence  of  the  "Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Chil- 
dren", the  introductory  words,  "I  the  Lord  thy  God",  have  been 
incorporated  and  retained.  Thereby  the  Evangelical  character 
of  the  First  Chief  Part  has  become  even  more  pronounced.  This 
fact,  indeed,  is  not  brought  to  the  fore  by  one  who  departs  so 
far  from  a  correct  understanding  of  the  text  in  question  as  to 
endeavor  to  educe  theoretically  from  the  words  "I  am"  the 
existence  and  personality  of  God,  and  from  the  words  "the  Lord 
thy  God",  his  essence  and  character.  For  such  a  teacher,  these 
words  are  merely  an  opportunity  for  an  extremely  unfruitful, 
because  altogether  unchildlike,  and,  at  least  in  this  connection, 
perfectly  superfluous  and  fatuous,  treatment,  which,  while  it 
may  possibly  enable  the  catechist  to  subject  his  dogmatical 
knowledge  to  a  wholesome  review,  is  positively  discouraging  to 
the  souls  of  the  poor  children,  while  in  truth  the  words  of  intro- 
duction are  like  the  open-door  of  home,  intended  to  invite  and 
attract.  For  when  God  gives  His  commandments  the  super- 
scription, "I,  the  Lord",  or  "I,  Tahve,  am  thy  God",  He  opens 
therewith  His  heart  and  home,  and  offers  Himself  to  us  with  all 
His  saving  power  and  mercy.  He  does  not  begin  with  the  cold, 
severe,  difficult  demand:  "You  shall  fear  and  love  Me";  but 
He  begins  with  the  gift  of  Himself  to  us,  with  a  revelation  of 
Himself  as  God  and  Father  .through  the  saving  act  performed 
by  Himself  in  our  behalf.  Not  until  He  has  given  Himself 
to  us  as  God  and  Father,  thus  opening  wide  the  gate  of  home, 
does  He  open  His  lips  and  enjoin  the  rules  and  regulations  of 
His  house,  in  the  observance  of  which  His  children  are  to 
exemplify  their  love.  With  His  love  He  intends  to  arouse  our 
love,  so  that  He  may  reap  where  He  first  has  sown.  And  is  it 
not  the  foundation  of  all  true  godliness  that  God  gives  Him- 
self to  us?  And,  on  the  other  hand,  could  there  be  a  more  peri- 
lous error  and  a  more  fatal  folly  than  the  opinion  that  one  must 
make  his  own  way  to  God  upon  the  way  of  legal  obedience? 
There  is,  therefore,  reason  for  gratitude  that,  through  these 
words,  the  Gospel  has  been  given  precedence  in  the  First  Chief 
Part;  that  a  hint  is  given  of  Baptism,  through  which  Jahve  has 
become  our  God  and  father. — a  relation  which  warrants  the  rules 


346  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

adopted  by  Him  for  the  governance  of  His  children,  who.  so 
far  as  they  really  are  such,  gladly  submit  to  it.  The  thought  of 
divine  authority  is  not  weakened  by  this  treatment,  but  rather 
made  more  effective.  From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  evident 
that  the  children,  in  the  First  Chief  Part,  are  not  led  into  a 
world  altogether  foreign  to  them,  as  has  been  averred, — a  world 
for  which  they  lack  every  connecting  link  in  their  own  life.  On 
the  contrary,  just  as  in  their  home  life,  the  father,  author  of 
their  life  and  provider  of  their  bread,  enacts  His  regulations, 
to  which  they  are  required  to  conform,  so  the  Father  in  heaven, 
with  the  words  of  introduction,  opens  the  gate  of  His  home, 
whereupon  He  lays  down  the  several  rules  of  His  house.  These 
are  things  quite  suited  for  the  concept  sphere  of  the  child. — 
Nor  is  the  other  objection  to  the  First  Chief  Part  well  grounded, 
that  the  explanation  of  the  several  commandments  dovetails 
inadequately  with  the  life  of  the  present.  Luther,  in  the  vir- 
tues and  faults  enumerated  by  him  in  his  explanations,  merely 
means  to  give  examples  of  the  transgression  or  fulfillment  of 
the  commandments,  as  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  "etc."  added 
in  the  original  editions  in  the  explanation  of  the  Ninth  Com- 
mandment. Moreover  Luther  expressly  said  that  the  features 
most  commonly  disregarded  should  receive  the  most  careful  at- 
tention. According  to  the  Reformer's  own  intention,  therefore, 
there  is  no  reason  whatever  not  to  supplement  the  examples 
of  true  obedience  to  the  divine  will  given  by  Luther  through 
others  taken  from  the  life  of  today.  For  our  person,  we  are  of 
opinion  that  virtually  all  that  is  necessary  is  already  found 
in  the  original  outline.  What  is  needed  is  not  so  much  new  ad- 
ditions as  an  exhaustive  amplification  of  what  is  given. 

When  it  is  asserted  that  the  Second  Chief  Part  postulates 
so  profound  an  insight  into  sin  and  a  faith  so  strong  as  alto- 
gether to  transcend  the  experience  of  the  child,  the  fact  is  over- 
looked that,  according  to  Luther's  intention,  it  is  primarily  the 
father  or  the  catechist  who  confesses  himself  to  be  a  lost  and 
condemned  sinner;  that  it  is  he  who  expresses  his  faith.  This 
is  irrefutably  proved  in  the  explanation  of  the  First  Article, 
where  "wife  and  child,  house  and  home"  are  enumerated.  This 
is  further  corroborated  by  the  past  practise  of  the  father  or 
the  catechist  pronouncing;  and  the  children  and  servants  re- 
peating,   the    words.      Likewise,    it    is    also    forgotten    that    con- 


The  Catechism  347 

trition  and  faith  can  well  be  produced  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
their  beginnings  at  the  stage  of  boyhood  and  girlhood,  and 
that,  during  adolescence,  they  sometimes  reach  a  surprising 
depth  of  experience  (pp.  294,  301), 

When  the  assertion  is  made  that  the  notion  of  creation 
"ex  nihilo",  as  contained  in  the  First  Article,  is  not  an  essential 
part  of  a  saving  evangelical  faith,  a  grave  error  is  committed. 
For  it  is  the  indispensable  foundation  for  the  very  thought  that 
God  is  the  absolute  lord  of  the  world,  so  that  nothing  can  harm 
us  save  by  His  permission.  That  this  conviction  is  essential 
to  the  Christian  faith,  no  one  can  deny.  In  view  of  the  state- 
ment that  the  enumeration  in  the  explanation  of  the  First  Arti- 
cle of  "house  and  home,  wife  and  children,  cattle  and  all  goods" 
frequently  fails  to  correspond  to  the  conditions  in  which  most 
of  our  children  are  reared,  it  is  quite  true  that  Luther,  when 
he  wrote  his  explanation,  had  in  mind  the  rural  family;  but 
the  fact  is  overlooked  that  this  specification  is  merely  in- 
tended as  an  illustration.  It  is  not  likely  that  serious  diffi- 
culties will  arise  for  an  experienced  catechist  in  this  connec- 
tion. But  if  the  fact  is  emphasized  that  the  so-called  inter- 
nlediate  causes  have  been  completely  ignored,  everything  being 
traced  back  directly  to  God,  it  should  be  remembered  that  the 
Bible  deals  with  the  subject  in  precisely  the  same  way,  without 
thereby  denying  the  intermediate  causes,  to  which,  in  other 
passages,  it  does  not  fail  to  testify.  The  judgments  expressed  at 
this  place  are  judgments  of  faith ;  and  faith  does  not  deal 
with  powers  and  objects  belonging  to  the  economy  of  nature. 
It  is  rather  the  very  nature  of  faith  to  look  beyond  the  materi- 
al world  for  the  invisible  one  lying  behind  it;  nor  is  it  satis- 
fied until,  in  everything  pertaining  to  our  natural  life,  the  con- 
cealed hand  of  God  has  been  seized,  which,  through  those  self- 
same intermediate  causes,  supplies  food  and  everything  else  that 
is  needed  for  our  body  and  life,  protects  us  against  all  dan- 
ger, and  guards  and  keeps  us  from  all  evil.  Could  there  be 
anything  needed  rather  by  the  present  generation,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  great  vogue  of  the  natural  sciences,  so  prone  to 
cleave  to  visible  things  and  largely  blind  to  the  hand  of  God 
ordering  and  governing  everything,  than  such  emphasis  upon 
God  as  "causa  prima"?  Should,  however,  the  plerophoria  here 
found  be  the  stumbling-stone,  in  that  exception  is  taken  to  such 


348  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

large  phrases  as  :  "that  he  richly  and  daily  provided  me  with 
all  that  I  need  for  this  body  and  life,  protects  me  against  all 
danger,  and  guards  and  keeps  me  from  all  evil",  then  three 
facts  are  ignored:  1.  that  it  is  a  judgment  of  faith  which  is 
here  expressed,  namely,  the  confidence  that  one  knows  himself 
to  be  safe  in  the  arms  of  God  for  all  time  to  come;  2.  that  the 
accent  lies  on  "God"  in  contrast  to  one's  own  strength  and  wis- 
dom; 3.  that  the  terms  "peril"  and  "evil"  are  to  be  interpreted, 
not  from  the  narrow  standpoint  of  our  limited  human  reason,  but 
in  the  light  of  Rom.  8,  28,  that  of  the  all-seeing  divine  ruler 
of  the  world  and  of  every  individual  life. 

Offense  has  also  been  taken  because  the  Apostolicum  silent- 
ly passes  over  all  intermediate  steps  between  the  birth  of  Christ 
and  His  passion,  saying  nothing  about  the  prophetic  office 
of  Christ,  and  because  the  same  omission  occurs  in  Luther's 
explanation.  But  let  it  be  remembered  that  this  is  precisely 
the  method  of  Paul  in  all  his  letters,  and  that  the  passion  and 
death  of  Christ  is  in  reality  the  climax  of  his  work,  just  as,  on 
the  other  hand,  it  is  the  point  in  which  his  whole  preceding  life 
and  all  its  manifold  activities  converge. 

In  view  of  the  assertion  that  the  tenor  of  the  explanation 
of  the  Third  Chief  Part  is  too  heavy,  we  readily  concede  that 
there  is  an  occasional  lack  of  lucidity,  due  to  the  lengthy  sen- 
tences and  massive  thoughts  composing  it — factors  that  account 
for  the  peculiar  difficulties  confronting  the  catechist  in  this 
part.  However,  if  he  has  been  thorough  in  his  explanation  of 
the  first  two  chief  parts,  the  children  are  able  to  comprehend 
what  Luther  offers  in  his  explanation  of  the  Third.  The  last 
trace  of  difficulty  will  disappear  if  he  direct  the  pupils  to  repeat 
in  brief  sentences  the  respective  burden  of  the  individual  peti- 
tions (cf.  our  Explanation  of  the  Catechism).  It  is  also  an  easy 
matter  to  supplement  the  subject  matter  of  the  Second  Petition 
by  adding  the  thought  of  missions. 

If  it  be  thought  that  the  Fourth  Chief  Part  is  too  largely 
orientated  upon  adult  baptism,  since  infant  baptism  is  virtually 
passed  by,  we  contend  that  whatever  pertains  to  the  essence  of 
Baptism  is  of  necessity  true  of  infant  baptism  as  well,  if  the 
latter  at  all  be  Baptism. — While  it  is  true  that  Luther  erred  in 
connection  with  the  Fifth  Chief  Part,  in  that  he  applied  the 
words  of  institution:     "Given  and  shed  for  you  for  the  remis- 


The  Catechism  349 

sion  of  sins"  to  the  act  of  distribution,  and  not,  as  is  proper,  to 
the  act  of  Christ's  death,  and  then,  acting  on  such  erroneous  in- 
terpretation, fixed  these  words  as  central,*)  we  do  not  endorse 
his  error;  but  the  catechist  who  is  convinced  that  the  sacra- 
mental blessing,  the  remission  of  sins,  is  bestowed  not  through 
the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  but  through  the  Word  used  in 
connection  with  the  sacrament,  need  not  consider  this  formula — 
thrice  recurring — as  anything  but  a  recapitulation  of  the  words 
of  institution,  whereupon  he  will  find  his  difficulty  vanished. 
While  the  matter  is  not  so  simple  for  one  to  whom  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ  is  intended  not  only  to  seal  but  also  to  trans- 
mit the  sacramental  blessing  of  the  remission  of  sins,  the  diffi- 
culty can  be  surmounted  nevertheless.  It  would  be  altogether 
wrong  for  such  reason  to  take  offense  at  Luther's  Catechism 
and  to  doubt  its  availability  as  a  medium  of  instruction  in  the 
present.  The  few  occasional  difficulties  are  altogether  crowded 
into  the  background  by  the  numerous  merits  possessed  by  this 
peerless  little  book. 

Accordingly,  if  Luther's  Small  Catechism  is  the 
best  summary  of  that  faith  which  is  the  life  of  the  ma- 
ture congregation,  pains  must  be  taken  in  catechetical 
instruction  not  to  obliterate  its  great  merits,  but  rather 
to  give  them  full  scope,  so  that  the  uniqueness  of  the 
Catechism  is  reflected  in  the  instruction  based  upon  it  as 
its  text.  This  will  be  accomplished  most  readily  when 
all  of  the  instruction,  instead  of  going  elsewhere  for  its 
leading  points  and  grafting  them  upon  the  several  parts 
of  the  Catechism  as  well  or  ill  as  is  possible  in  the  cir- 
cumstances, should  be  what  its  character  requires,  name- 
ly, nothing  more  or  less  than  an  unfolding  of  the  full- 
ness of  the  evangelical  life  of  faith  expressed  in  the 
words  of  the  Catechism.    It  was  Loehe  particularly  who 


*)  Toward  the  end  of  his  life  Luther  conceded  their  bearing 
upon  the  death  of  Christ  without,  however,  casting  aside  their 
bearing  upon  the  sacrament;  see  the  fifteenth  sermon  of  Mathe- 
sius  upon  the  life  of  Luther. 


350  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

re-affirmed  this  principle,  which  Theo.  Kaftan,  in  his 
"Auslegung  des  Lutherschen  Katechismus"  (Sixth 
Edition,  1913),  and,  likewise,  the  synodical  cate- 
chism of  the  Iowa  Synod  have  consistently  carried  out. 
This  principle  recognized,  it  follows  naturally  that 
instruction  in  the  Catechism  should  be  restricted  to  the 
truths  that  constitute  the  center  of  the  Christian  life,  upon 
which  we  Christians  feed.  That  involves  not  only  the 
exclusion  of  such  special  complementary  parts  which, 
it  is  thought,  form  a  necessary  addition  to  Luther's 
Catechism,  as,  for  instance,  a  special  section  relating  to 
the  Word  of  God  or  the  new  life  of  the  Christian  (beati- 
tudes or  the  twin  commandment  of  love),  but  also  the 
exclusion  of  those  supplementary  sections  taken  from 
dogmatics  and  sacred  history  whereby  the  verbal  limits 
of  the  Catechism  are  transcended.  There  are  catechists 
who  believe  a  discussion  of  such  concepts  as  revelation, 
religion,  conscience,  to  be  necessary  to  an  introduction 
to  the  Catechism.  They  believe  that  no  adequate  treat- 
ment of  the  Second  Chief  Part  is  possible  without  first 
having  laid  down  a  general  doctrine  of  God,  His  essence 
and  attributes,  and  the  Holy  Trinity.  They  cannot  re- 
frain from  interweaving  the  whole  history  and  doctrine 
of  creation,  in  spite  of  the  separate  course  in  Bible  His- 
tory now  everywhere  found,  in  contrast  to  former  times ; 
from  making  an  "excursus"  to  the  subject  of  good  and 
bad  angels ;  from  foisting  upon  their  treatment  of  the 
First  Article^  the  dogmatical  division  "creation,  preser- 
vation, and  gevernment".  They  consider  as  a  weak- 
ness of  Luther's  Explanation  of  the  Creed  his  omission 
to  interlink  between  the  First  and  the  Second  Article 
the  doctrine  of  the  fall  of  men, — a  weakness  which  they 
aim  to  remove  by  grafting  upon  the  Creed  an  elaborate 


The  Catechism  351 

dogma  of  sin  and  the  involved  need  of  redemption.  They 
demand  in  connection  with  the  Second  Article  a  supple- 
ment treating  either  of  the  sinlessness  of  Christ  or  of 
His  whole  historic  activity.  They  think  that  the  con- 
ventional dogmatical  division  of  Christ's  person  and 
work  applies  with  equal  force  to  the  explanation  of  the 
Second  Article;  nor  can  they  see  their  way  clear  to  dis- 
pense with  a  distinction  made  in  the  prophetic,  priestly, 
and  royal  offices  of  Christ — a  distinction  to  be 
made,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  only  with  due  caution,  espe- 
cially in  view  of  its  comparative  recent  origin  in  the 
seventeenth  century:  and  then,  to  cap  the  climax,  they 
duplicate  this  material  by  dragging  in  an  extended  dis- 
cussion of  the  two  states  of  Christ,  although  it  is  treated 
from  another  point  of  view.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that 
the  evpression  "redemption  from  death"  is  found  midway 
between  redemption  from  sin  and  redemption  from  the 
power  of  the  devil,  they  cannot  refrain  from  adding  the 
distinction — quite  appropriate,  to  be  sure,  at  the  right 
place — in  regard  to  natural,  spiritual,  and  eternal  death. 
In  connection  with  the  Third  Article,  they  endeavor  to 
give  a  detailed  explanation  of  the  person  of  the  Holy 
Spirit;  and  they  believe  themselves  guilty  of  a  serious 
omission  when  they  either  fail  to  enumerate  all  the 
steps  of  the  order  of  salvation  ever  constructed  in  dog- 
matics or  to  force  everything  that  can  be  said  on  the 
subject  into  the  few  words  found  in  the  catechetical  text 
proper.  Instead  of  demonstrating  in  the  light  of  the 
Lord's  Prayer  itself  what  a  true  prayer  is  like,  they 
premise  an  elaborate  doctrine  of  prayer.  The  concep- 
tion of  the  sacrament  with  which  they  operate  has  a 
cast  altogether  dogmatical;  and  then  they  strain  under 
obstacles   self-imposed  when  they  attempt  correctly  to 


352  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

state  the  heavenly  blessing  of  Baptism,  etc.  That  these 
elucidations  are  correct,  is  not  the  point  in  question. 
They  are  not  in  place  in  catechetical  instruction,  which 
is  calculated  to  preserve  the  uniqueness  of  Luther's 
Catechism.  That  book  excludes  the  technical  ballast  of 
dogmatical  terms  as  much  as  is  practicable;  and,  in- 
stead of  serving  as  an  introduction  to  theology,  it  has 
no  other  purpose  than  to  serve  as  a  succinct  and  lucid 
expression  of  the  substance  of  the  evangelical  life  of 
faith. 

If  instruction  in  the  Catechism  is  confined  to  what  is 
central  in  the  Christian  life,  it  will,  naturally,  refrain 
from  fusing  the  Five  Chief  Parts  into  a  system.  Such 
attempts  have  been  made  again  and  again.  The  sev- 
eral parts  have  been  joined  into  a  connected  whole 
through  such  a  division  as  this :  The  First  Chief  Part  is 
to  show  us  our  disease;  the  Second,  the  physician;  the 
Third,  the  means  whereby  the  physician  is  to  be  sum- 
moned ;  the  Fourth  and  the  Fifth,  the  remedies  em- 
ployed by  the  physician  to  effect  a  cure.  Or  by  such 
a  division  as  this :  The  First  Chief  Part  shows  us  the 
goal  to  be  reached ;  the  Second  shows  us  faith  as  the  way 
to  this  goal ;  the  Third,  Fourth,  and  Fifth  show  how  the 
power  to  prosecute  the  way  to  it  is  to  be  found,  namely, 
in  prayer  and  the  sacraments.  While,  according  to  the 
first  systematic  effort  here  described,  the  Ten  Command- 
ments are  of  moment  exclusively  as  a  mirror  for  sin, 
their  importance,  according  to  the  second,  is  altogether 
found  in  being  the  rule  and  norm  of  the  new  life.  The 
attempt  is  made  to  justify  both  these  conceptions  by 
appealing  to  Luther,  but  without  warrant  (cf.  Pages 
121 — 123)  ;  for,  according  to  him,  the  First  Command- 
ment is  indeed  primarily  the  norm  of  the  true  Christian 


The  Catechism  353 

life,  but  also  the  mirror  for  sin  (see  the  part  treating  of 
confession).  In  a  type  of  instruction  in  the  Catechism 
that  takes  its  cue  from  the  Catechism  itself  the  Deca- 
logue will  be  used  to  limn  the  ideal  of  a  Christian  con- 
versation upon  the  vision  of  the  pupil  with  as  much  viv- 
idness and  animation  as  possible.  This  being  the  mode  of 
proceeding  on  the  part  of  the  catechist,  the  Decalogue, 
apprehended  in  an  evangelical  sense,  will  of  itself  be- 
come a  mirror  for  sin.  Thus  the  danger  of  formulating 
a  system  has  been  obviated ;  for  that  can  exist  only 
when  the  Decalogue  is  treated  either  as  a  mirror  for  sin 
or  as  the  norm  of  the  new  life,  but  not  when  it  is  treated 
as  both.  At  the  same  time  a  service  is  rendered  to  the 
young,  who  have  often  been  tormented  in  good  fashion 
with  questions  relating  to  the  connection  between  the 
one  Chief  Part  and  the  other.  The  young  and  the 
common  people  indeed  require  brief  and  definite  state- 
ments as  a  treasure  secure  and  rich ;  but  neither  the 
common  people  nor  the  children  stand  in  need  of  a 
system. — Moreover,  the  treatment  of  the  Catechism  is 
rather  one-sided  when  it  is  based  upon  the  notion  that 
each  Chief  Part  contains  but  one  side  of  Christianity 
and  excludes  the  other.  The  fact  is,  that  each  Chief 
Part  contains  all  of  Christianity,  although  the  light  and 
the  relation  in  which  it  is  viewed  do  not  remain  the  same. 
In  the  First  Chief  Part  Christianity  is  viewed  as  a  di- 
vine requirement ;  in  the  Second,  as  the  expression  of 
the  certitude  of  faith ;  in  the  Third,  as  a  divine  gift 
to  be  received  through  prayer;  in  the  sacraments,  as 
salvation  appropriated  by  visible  acts ;  in  the  additions, 
as  exemplified  in  the  various  relations  of  life. 

Finally,  where  this  principle  for  the  explanation  of 
Luther's    Catechism    is    in    operation,    another    wrong 


354  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

catechetical  method  stands  excluded.  We  refer  to  the 
method  which,  not  satisfied  with  merely  unfolding  the 
explanation  of  Luther,  insists  upon  adding  another  of 
the  Catechism  text  proper,  and,  here  and  there,  even  one 
that  is  not  at  all  in  concord  with  that  given  by  Luther. 
Such  method  has  a  most  disturbing  effect  when,  e.  g., 
each  step  of  the  humiliation  and  exaltation  of  Christ  is 
examined  separately,  and  its  meaning  and  importance,  in 
contradistinction  to  that  of  the  preceding  and  follow- 
ing steps,  is  brought  out;  or  when,  in  connection  with 
the  Third  Article,  its  five  component  parts  are  treated 
separately  (for  instance,  in  the  Explanation  of  the  Cate- 
chism by  Caspari).  Such  method,  considered  from  the 
standpoint  of  pedagogics,  is  thoroughly  vicious,  con- 
noting, as  it  does,  a  misapprehension  of  one  of  the  great- 
est merits  of  the  Catechism  (cf.  page  111  f.).  No,  the  text 
of  the  catechism  has  been  explained  by  Luther  in  ac- 
cordance with  Scripture,  and,  therefore,  in  an  authori- 
tative manner.  For  this  reason  the  text  confronts  us 
with  no  other  requirement  than  that  a  brief  definition 
be  given  of  difficult  words ;  that,  when  occasion  sug- 
gests it,  a  few  historical  remarks  be  interspersed ;  and 
that,  wherever  necessary,  the  outline  of  the  text  be  dis- 
closed, as  in  the  Second  and  Third  Articles,  the  cate- 
chist  always  taking  his  cue  from  Luther's  appended 
explanation  (cf.  Reu,  Explanation  of  Luther's  Small 
Catechism,  pages  60,  70 — 72,  85).  Instead  of 
introducing  the  pupil  to  theology  and  dogmatics,  the 
catechist  cannot  be  too  thorough  in  bringing  to  the  fore 
the  truly  central  and  religious  elements;  to  bring  out 
its  very  meaning;  to  impress  it  upon  the  hearts  of  the 
children,  and  to  make  the  application  to  their  life. 
Wherever  possible,  he  will,  by  examples  taken  from  life, 


The  Catechism  355 

exhibit  the  significance  of  the  several  truths  of  the  Cate- 
chism for  the  life  of  the  pupil,  in  order,  for  his  part,  to 
prevent  the  mistaken  notion  that  the  statements  of  the 
Catechism  are  dead  dogmas,  to  be  hoarded  up  in  the 
memory  without  the  possibility  of  real  gain  either  now 
or  later.  It  will  accordingly  be  necessary  for  him  to 
draw  upon  Biblical  History,  upon  secular  history,  upon 
the  history  of  the  Church  and  missions ;  if  need  be,  also 
upon  the  kingdom  of  nature,  in  order  to  gain  an  appro- 
priate starting-point  or  illustrative  material.  H.  Cas- 
pari,  Geistliches  und  Weltliches,  231915;  J.  H.  A.  Fricke, 
Handbuch  des  Katechismusunterrichts,  zugleich  Buch 
der  Beispiele,  21892;  L.  Pestalozzi,  Die  christliche  Lehre 
in  Beispielen,  31901 ;  P.  von  Zychlinski,  Illustrierende 
Aussprueche,  Sentenzen  und  Geschichten  zu  Gottes 
Wort,  1900;  J.  Besch,  Aus  der  Lernstube  des  Lebens, 
-1913 ;  Narratives  on  the  Catechism,  Columus,  Ohio,  are 
books  in  which  the  catechist  finds  much  useful  material 
already  garnered.  In  particular  from  the  modern  his- 
tory of  missions  men  like  Warneck,  in  his  "Die  Mission 
in  der  Schule",  141912;  Schaefer,  in  "Die  Innere  Mis- 
sion in  der  Schule",  71912;  and  Koenig,  in  "Die  Mission 
im  Katechismusunterricht",  1913,  have  gathered  valu- 
able sketches  and  narratives,  arranged  according  to  the 
Chief  Parts  of  the  Catechism.  But  whatever  the  ma- 
terial selected  by  the  catechist  for  the  purpose  of  bring- 
ing home  to  his  pupil  the  truth  in  a  quickening  and 
touching  manner,  of  impressing  upon  him  its  value  and 
producing  permanent  impressions  and  promptings  of  the 
will — always  the  statements  of  the  Catechism  must  con- 
stitute the  cord  upon  which  everything  is  strung,  or 
which  vibrates  to  everything;  nor  should  any  element 
of  knowledge  receive  consideration  which  is  not  an  or- 


356  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

ganic  outgrowth  of  the  Catechism.  Only  in  this  way 
shall  the  youth  of  the  Church  be  well  grounded  in  the 
Catechism ;  only  in  this  way  shall  it  become  an  instru- 
ment for  the  orientation  of  their  life  in  days  to  come. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  teacher  who  is  not  content  with 
letting  his  explanation  turn  upon  Luther's  explanation, 
might  well  be  asked  why  he  should  at  all  insist  upon 
an  exact  memorization  and  repeated  reviews  of  the 
same.  Finally,  a  tendency  manifest  also  in  Luther's 
Enchiridion,  should  pervade  all  instruction  in  the  Cate- 
chism from  beginning  to  end — that  to  individualize  in- 
stead of  dealing  in  impersonal  generalities.  It  is  "we 
shall"  n  the  First  Chief  Part;  "I"  and  "Me",  in  the  Sec- 
ond Chief  Part;  "We",  "us",  "our",  in  the  Third  Chief 
Part.  Likewise,  all  instruction  should  be  given,  as 
though  by  a  "Seelsorger",  rather  than  by  a  doctrinaire, 
so  that  not  only  the  intellectual  faculties  may  be  aroused, 
but  also  the  feelings  be  stirred,  and  the  will  be  moved  to 
action — in  short,  the  whole  man  be  wrought  upon.  To 
summarize :  instruction  in  the  Catechism  shoul  possess 
all  those  marks  that  constitute  the  superlative  excellence 
of  the  Small  Catechism.  The  more  it  preserves  and  re- 
flects its  unique  character,  the  more  likely  it  will  be  to 
become  truly  evangelical  and  pedagogically  correct.  And 
it  will  reflect  its  uniqueness  best  when  the  instruction 
from  the  beginning  has  no  other  aim  than  to  be  an  un- 
folding of  the  fullness  of  evangelical  faith,  as  it  is 
expressed  by  the  words  of  Luther's  Catechism. 

We  take  the  liberty  of  adding  a  few  hints  as  to  a  correct 
understanding  of  the  Small  Catechism.  While  we  must  con- 
fine ourselves  to  essentials  at  this  place,  we  refer  for  details 
to  M.  Reu,  Explanation  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  (tenth, 
larger,  edition,  Chicago,  1917;  smaller  edition,  same  place, 
1915);   to  Vol.  30  of  the  Weimar   Edition  of  Luther's   Works 


The  Catechism  357 

(Weimar,  Boehlau,  1910),  upon  which  O.  Albrecht  has  be- 
stowed great  care;  to  A.  Ebeling,  Historisch-kritische  Ausgabe 
von  Luthers  Kl.  Katechismus  (second  edition,  Hanover,  1901)  ; 
to  A.  Hardeland,  Luther's  Katechismusgedanken  in  ihrer  Ent- 
wicklung bis  zum  Jahre  1529  (Guetersloh,  1913) ;  to  J.  Meyer, 
Luther's  Grosser  Katechismus,  mit  Kennzeichnung  seiner  Pre- 
digtgrundlagen (Leipzig,  1914) ;  and  especially  to  Th.  Kaftan, 
Auslegung  des  Lutherischen  Katechismus  (Schleswig,  sixth 
edition,  1913),  the  best  commentary  to  Luther's  "golden  gem". 
In  the  last  named  work  there  arc  registered  all  more  important 
monographs  bearing  upon  the  subject.  Parts  of  Kaftan's  book 
are  extant  also  in  the  English  language,  in  the  form  of  "The 
Catechist's  Handbook",  by  J.  W.  Horine  (Philadelphia,  1909). 
While  our  own  views  in  the  premises  are  largely  in  agree- 
ment with  those  of  Kaftan,  justice  to  our  subject  requires  the 
statement  that,  in  accordance  with  our  notes,  our  views,  on  the 
whole,  were  formed  years  before  we  became  acquainted  with  the 
book  of  Kaftan.  The  impulse  for  our  conception  of  the  Cate- 
chism in  general  we  received  through  the  foreword  appended 
by  W.  Loehe  to  his  edition  of  1845. — Abundant  material  rela- 
tive to  the  history  of  the  exposition  of  the  Catechism  is  found 
in  M.  Reu,  Quellen  zur  Geschichte  des  kirchlichen  Unterrichts 
im  evangelischen  Deutschland  zwischen  1530  und  1600,  Gueters- 
loh, 1904.    1911  ff. 

The  introduction,  which  should  be  restricted  to  a  small 
compass,  acording  to  Brenz's  example  (which,  however,  was  an- 
ticipated by  the  "Fundamentum  aeternum  felicitatis  seu  summa 
religionis  Christianae  (printed  1498,  though  older  in  manuscript 
form),  and  afterward  followed  by  many  expositions  of  Luther's 
Catechism,  especially  by  that  of  Bischoff  of  1599,  Reu  I,  2, 
p.  222  f.)  should  use  as  a  starting-point  Baptism,  through  which 
the  prospective  catechumens  have  become  children  of  God ; 
then  touch  upon  Holy  Scripture,  which  bears  witness  to  that 
fact ;  and  finally  pass  on  to  the  Catechism,  which,  in  five  phases, 
is  designed  to  teach  wherein  the  faith  and  life  of  God's  true 
children  consist. 

The  First  Chief  Part.  The  Ten  Commandments,  Luther 
says  at  one  place,  reveal  to  us  what  we  have  been,  what  we  are, 
and  what  we  should  be.  His  mode  of  presenting  the  subject 
indicates   his   wish   that   stress   be   laid  upon  the   last;   for  al- 


358  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

ways  he  begins  his  explanation  with  the  words  "we  should". 
It  is  his  desire  to  let  the  young,  at  the  hand  of  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, visualize  the  ideal  of  the  Christian  life,  and  show 
them,  in  clear  outline,  what  they  should  do  and  what  they  should 
avoid.  But  are  the  commandments  of  Sinai  adapted  to  that 
purpose?  Are  they  not  an  integral  part  of  the  Law  which  has 
found  its  end  in  Jesus  Christ ;  ay,  are  they  not  that  very  Law 
summarized?  Quite  true:  they  are  obsolete  in  their  Old  Tes- 
tament form,  as  is  clearly  seen  when  we  compare  the  Fourth 
and  the  Third  Commandments  with  Col.  2,  16  f. ;  with  Gal.  4, 
10  f.  But  Luther  never  received  them  in  their  Old  Testament 
form  either;  and  still  less  did  he  give  them  an  Old  Testament 
explanation  (pages  108 — 110).  What  he  did,  was  to  shell  from 
the  husks  of  the  Old  Testament  the  divine  thoughts  of  eternal 
value,  and  to  explain  them  in  the  sense  and  spirit  of  the  New 
Testament.  This,  and  this  alone,  is  the  acceptation  of  the  Ten 
Commandments  in  the  present :  so  understood,  they  are  grate- 
fully hailed  by  the  Christian,  eager  to  do  the  will  of  God  of 
which  he  is  often  ignorant,  as  the  rule  and  norm  for  his  Chris- 
tian life.  Inasmuch  as  the  children  themselves  observe  the  dif- 
ference between  the  biblical  wording  of  the  Decalogue  and  that 
in  Luther's  Catechism  (the  former,  by  the  way,  is  quoted  in  their 
textbook  of  Biblical  History),  and  the  objection  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Reformed  Churches  comes  to  their  ears  again 
and  again  that  Luther  "was  guilty  of  mutilating  the  text  of  the 
Bible,  the  catechist  finds  it  incumbent  upon  him  at  the  outset 
to  make  this  matter  plain,  so  that  he  may  do  his  part  toward 
spreading  healthy,  evangelical  conceptions  of  Scripture  and  life 
among  the  people.  Afterward,  in  connection  with  the  Third 
Commandment,  another  opportunity  will  be  presented. — The 
Commandments  are  divided  into  three  parts  :  1.  The  introduc- 
tion; 2.  The  Commandments  proper;  3.  The  conclusion.  The 
introduction,  which  Luther,  who  followed  the  traditional  text, 
omitted,  was  afterward  rightly  restored  almost  everywhere  (p. 
345).  Luther  took  notice  of  it  not  only  in  his  sermons  on  Ex- 
odus in  1529,  but  also  in  his  catechetical  sermons  of  1528.  The 
exodus  from  Egypt,  adverted  to  by  Moses  in  the  introduction 
of  the  Decalogue,  was  to  Luther  the  "sign  by  which  the  Jews 
were  to  lay  hold  of  God" ;  what  the  exodus  was  for  the  Jew, 
redemption  by  Jesus   Christ   is  for  the  Christian;   at  one  place 


The  Catechism  359 

there  is  even  a  reference  to  Baptism  (Weimar  edition,  vol.  16, 
p.  425).  "For  this  reason  it  is  not  necessary  that  they  (Chris- 
tians) should  fear  and  love  God  under  the  name  of  a  deliverer 
from  Egypt :  he  has  received  another  name  now,  namely,  Christ, 
who,  true  God,  has  died  for  us"  (Weimar  Edition,  28,  p.  605). 
In  his  Annotations  on  the  Decalogue  of  1530,  he,  therefore,  is 
able  to  say  in  regard  to  the  words  of  introduction  :  Promissio 
omnium  promissionum,  fons  et  omnis  religionis  et  sapientiae 
caput,  evangelium  Christum  promissum  complectens.  (vol.  30, 
2.  p.  358).  Accordingly,  the  catechist  is  following  in  »Luther's 
steps,  who  uses  the  introduction  as  an  occasion  to  remind  his 
pupils  of  their  redemption  by  Jesus  Christ  or  of  the  baptismal 
sacrament,  by  which  the  former  is  appropriated,  and  says  to 
the  Christian  children  at  his  feet :  "These  commandments  are 
given  you  by  the  God  who,  through  Baptism,  has  become  your 
God  and  father",  and  then  continues  :  "But  if  He  has  vouch- 
safed to  you  this  unutterable  blessing  that  He  has  become  your 
God  and  father  through  grace,  it  is  His  right  to  enjoin  upon 
you  rules  and  regulations  in  regard  to  your  conduct  and  prop- 
erly to  expect  that  you  will,  in  grateful  love,  conform  thereto". 
If,  to  prove  the  contrary,  appeal  is  made  to  a  passage  in  Lu- 
ther's "Table  Talk"  (Erlangen  Edition,  58,  266  f.),  the  objec- 
tion is  not  well  taken;  for  he  does  not  argue  there  against  the 
retention  of  the  introduction  in  the  Decalogue,  but  against 
numbering  it  among  the  Commandments  (cf.  Reu  I,  1,  p.  451, 
758  f.) — a  proceeding  which,  altogether  in  keeping  with  his 
views  expressed  elsewhere,  would  be  to  him  a  perversion  of  a 
"promise"  into  a  commandment  and  thus  a  suppression  of  the 
comforting  Gospel  at  the  head  of  the  Commandments  (cf.  p. 
345). — We  are  ignorant  of  the  arrangement  of  the  Command- 
ments upon  the  tables  of  Moses.  This  should  prompt  the  cate- 
chist to  pay  no  attention  to  this  point  when  he  discusses  the 
question  as  to  the  division  of  the  commandments ;  still  less  will 
he  exaggerate  the  division  1 — 3  and  4 — 10  into  a  shibboleth  of 
the  Lutheran  Church.  While  -there  is  no  adequate  reason  to 
depart  from  this  division,  no  attempt  should  be  made  to  main- 
tain, with  an  unwarranted  reference  to  Matth.  22,  36,  that  the 
first  three  commandments  treat  of  that  which  we  owe  to  God, 
while  the  last  seven  treat  of  that  which  we  owe  to  our  neigh- 
bor:  for  the  child  has  a  repugnance  for  numbering  its  parents 


360  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction. 

among  the  "neighbors" — a  sentiment  apparently  shared  by  Lu- 
ther, who  does  not  introduce  the  term  "neighbor"  until  he  comes 
to  the  Fifth  Commandment.  For  this  reason  Melanchthon  and 
many  interpreters  of  Luther's  Catechism  made  a  distinction 
between  what  we  owe  to  God  and  what  we  owe  to  men.  While 
this  distinction  has  a  better  warrant,  it  is  still  misleading.  A 
mere  glance  at  Luther's  explanation  is  sufficient  to  assure  us 
that  our  duty  toward  God  is  the  subject  under  consideration 
also  in  the  last  six  commandments,  with  this  difference  only 
that,  in  the  first  group,  the  obligation  imposed  is  direct,  while, 
in  the  second  group,  it  is  indirect.  The  first  table  shows  what 
we  owe  to  God,  and  the  second  part  what  we  owe  God  in  the 
person  of  our  fellow-man.  A  reference  to  Matth.  25,  40  will  at 
once  make  the  subject  clear  to  the  child:  it  will  begin  to  com- 
prehend the  important  truth,  that  all  it  does  bears  not  only  on 
men,    but   primarily  upon   God    (Psalms   51,   6). 

He  who  has  come  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  intro- 
duction will  find  the  First  Commandment  its  necessary  logical 
sequel.  If  God,  through  Baptism,  has  become  our  God,  it  is  His 
right  to  require  that  we  should  have  no  other  gods  before  Him. 
but  have  Him  alone  as  our  God.  The  question  when  that  is  the 
case  that  we  have  God  as  our  God,  quite  in  accordance  with  the 
New  Testament,  is  usually  answered  by  Luther  in  that  he  simply 
points  to  faith.  E.  g.,  he  writes  in  the  explanation  of  the  Deca- 
logue as  found  in  his  sermon  on  Good  Works  (1520)  :  "Be- 
cause I  alone  am  your  God,  you  shall  make  me  alone  the  ob- 
ject of  your  trust,  fealty,  and  faith,  and  no  one  else.  For  to 
have  God  does  not  mean  to  call  upon  Him  outwardly  with  your 
lips  or  to  worship  Him  with  knees  and  motions,  but  heartily 
to  trust  Him  and  to  look  to  Him  for  every  blessing,  mercy, 
and  favor — in  labors  or  in  sufferings,  in  breath  or  in  death,  in 
prosperity  or  adversity.  And  this  faith,  fealty,  and  trust  of  the 
heart,  ...  is  the  true  fulfillment  of  the  First  Commandment, 
without  which  no  act  is  such  as  to  reach  the  level  of  this  com- 
mandment. And  as  this  commandment  is  the  very  first,  the 
highest  and  best,  from  which  all  the  others  flow  forth,  in  which 
all  the  others  are  included,  by  which  all  the  others  are  inter- 
preted and  measured,  just  so  the  work  required  by  the  com- 
mandment— that  is.  constant  faith  or  trust  in  God's  kindness 
— is    the   very   first,   highest,   and   best,    from   which   all    others 


The  Catechism  361 

flow,  in  which  all  others  are  included  and  held,  by  which  all 
others  are  interpreted  and  measured.  In  comparison  with 
this  work  all  others  are  what  the  other  commandments  would 
be  without  the  first  and  without  God"  (Weimar  Edition,  vol. 
6,  p.  209).  In  the  same  strain  he  speaks  in  his  sermons  on 
Exodus  (1525)  :  "The  general  requirement  of  the  First  Com- 
mandment is  a  genuine  faith  and  trust  in  God,  nor  does  it  en- 
join anything  external.  But  no  one  can  fulfill  it,  unless  the 
Holy  Spirit  work  it  in  his  heart"  (Weimar  Edition,  vol.  16,  p. 
445 ;  cf.  p.  464,  where  he  repeats  the  exposition  of  1520  almost 
literally).  In  the  same  strain  he  expresses  himself  once  more 
in  his  Catechetical  Sermons  of  1528:  "Ergo  intentio  huius 
praecepti  est,  dass  es  will  gebiten  einen  rechten  Glauben",  and 
in  the  Large  Catechism :  "hence  the  purpose  of  this  precept  is  to 
enjoin  the  right  kind  of  faith  (vol.  30,  1,  p.  133).  Just  because 
it  requires  faith,  he  can,  in  his  sermons  on  Deuteronomy  (1529), 
call  the  First  Commandment  "the  chief  part  of  all  our  Chris- 
tianity" (vol.  28,  p.  601),  and  describe  the  Church  as  "the  num- 
ber of  those  who  trust  in  nothing  save  the  mercy  of  God  alone, 
and  understand  the  First  Commandment"  (vol.  28,  p.  580).  In 
his  sketch  "  De  Loco  Justificationis"  (Weimar  Edition,  vol. 
20,  p.  663),  he  even  writes  :  "pueri  et  infantes  confirmant  suo 
catechismo  solam  fidem  absque  operibus  justificare.  .  .  Primum 
praeceptum  est  promissio,  quod  velit  esse  Deus.  Et  fidem  exigit 
ante  omnia  opera,  quae  sequentibus  preaceptis  exiguntur.  At 
fide  secundum  primum  praeceptum  habita  filii  Dei  sumus,  re- 
missis  jam  peccatis,  ipsa  fide  justi".  Now,  when  Luther  in  his 
Small  Catechism,  in  answering  the  question  when  we  regard 
God  as  our  God,  points  to  something  threefold,  it  is  not  likely 
that  we  have  to  look  for  anything  else  in  his  answer  than  a 
development  of  the  concept  of  faith  from  the  pedagogical  stand- 
point. And  indeed,  he  who  believes  in  God  as  his  God  and  father 
is  bound  to  fear,  love  and  trust  in  Him  above  all  things.  To 
trust  in  Him;  for  to  trust  in  God  as  One  who,  in  Jesus  Christ, 
has  become  our  father,  and  who  now  so  controls  all  things  that 
nothing  can  harm  us  against  His  will, — that  is  the  very  central 
part  of  our  faith.  To  love  Him;  for  to  love  means  to  surrender 
to  God;  and  this,  too,  is  involved  in  faith,  which,  while  at  first 
(logically)  always  a  receiving  of  God  and  His  gracious  gift, 
becomes  on  the  strength  of  such  receiving  also  a  personal  sur- 


362  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

render  to  Him.  To  fear  Him;  for  how  should  faith  maintain  it- 
self without  feeling  awe  of  that  God  who  has  shown  Himself 
so  great  and  sublime  in  all  His  deeds?  The  assertion  has  in- 
deed been  made,  in  view  of  the  conclusion  of  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, that  Luther,  in  that  connection,  did  not  have  in  mind  the 
awe  ~of  God  natural  to  a  believer,  but  the  fear  of  God's  wrath 
and  punishment.  That  Luther,  when  he  has  occasion  to  explain 
the  expression  "jealous  God",  does  stress  this  aspect,  is 
quite  true;  and  that  the  fear  of  God's  wrath  is  for  the  Chri- 
tian,  as  long  as  he  is  garbed  in  the  flesh,  and  just  because  of 
that  fact,  an  additional  motive  for  obedience,  has  been  con- 
ceded by  Luther  also  elsewhere.  We  find,  e.  g.,  in  a  letter  dated 
October  27,  1527  (Enders  6,  109)  :  "Timeant  poenam  et  infer- 
num  omnes  impii,  Deus  aderit  suis,  ut  simul  timeant  Deum  cum 
poena.  Neque  fieri  potest,  ut  sine  timore  poenae  sit  timor  Dei 
in  hac  vita,  sicut  nee  spiritus  sine  carne,  etiamsi  timor  poenae 
sit  inutilis  sine  timore  Dei".  But  neither  of  ihese  quotations 
justifies  the  view  that  Luther,  in  his  explanation  of  the  First 
Commandment  and  in  premising  the  words  "We  should  fear 
and  love  God"  to  his  explanation  of  the  other  commandments, 
occupied  the  same  point  of  view.  This  is  impossible,  because 
his  explanation  of  the  First  Commandment  is  always  under  the 
influence  of  the  superscription,  which  is  to  him  sheer  Gospel 
and  promise,  and  because  the  development  of  the  concept  of 
faith  is  the  subject  here  dealth  with.  In  the  third  series  of 
Catechetical  Sermons,  of  1528,  in  which  the  First  Command- 
ment, even  more  emphatically  than  usually,  is  summarized  as 
"timor"  and  "fides",  timere,  according  to  one  manuscript,  is  also 
found  in  juxtaposition  with  coleore  and  venerari  (Weimar  Edi- 
tion, 30,  1,  p.  59;  line  32.  34).  It  is,  accordingly,  Luther's  pur- 
pose to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  God,  in  both  His  character 
and  acts,  is  so  great,  august,  and  sublime,  so  wonderful  and 
awe-inspiring,  that  the  Christian  cannot  stand  before  Him  save 
marveling  and  adoring,  filled  with  holy  awe  and  veneration, 
and  governed  in  his  whole  conversation  by  the  thought  that 
it  would  appear  as  an  ungrateful  denial  and  violation  of  His 
majesty  jf  He  should  be  passed  by  without  recognition  and  His 
will  and  His  passion  be  ignored.  And  that  this  thought  of  the 
sublimity,  majesty,  and  wondrousness  of  his  God,  and  His  om- 
niscience and  omnipresence  as  well,  is  a  motive  for  a  righteous 


The  Catechism  363 

moral  attitude,  in  keeping  with  the  renewed  nature  of  the  regen- 
erate, who,  in  faith,  has  received  a  new  vision  of  the  greatness 
and  wondrousness  of  his  God,  is  a  fact  hardly  subject  to  doubt. 
While,  so  far,  every  reference  to  the  wrath  and  punishment  of 
God  is  lacking,  the  conclusion  of  the  Commandments  supplies 
that  very  thought  and  reminds  the  Christian :  "But  if  you  should 
be  so  frivolous  that,  in  consequence  of  an  overweening  carnal 
disposition,  the  thought  of  the  august  and  wondrous  greatness  of 
your  God  is  no  motive  for  the  sanctification  of  your  life,  or  one 
too  weak,  observe :  This  great  and  august  God  can  and  will 
prove  His  greatness  also  by  the  terrible  wrath  with  which  He 
will  burn  and  proceed  against  all  those  who  despise  His  com- 
mandments, and  frivolously,  or  even  maliciously,  ignore  His 
will !"  The  fear  of  God's  wrath  and  punishment,  is,  therefore, 
according  to  Luther,  something  that,  in  view  of  the  sinful  flesh, 
has  been  added — but  only  added — to  the  awe  of  His  wondrous 
greatness  inherent  in  faith  and  inseparable  from  it.  For  every 
ten  times  that  he  speaks  of  the  latter,  he  speaks  but  once  of 
the  former.  Just  in  proportion  as  we  can  dispense  with  the 
former  in  our  life  and  the  latter  becomes  the  dominant  factor 
in  it,  we  shall  become  more  and  more  what  we  should  be.  The 
catechist  who  has  recognized  this  fact  will,  therefore,  with  a 
possible  reference  to  Gen.  17,  1  and  Tob.  4,  6,  explain  this  con- 
cept to  his  children  in  the  following  manner :  "To  fear  God, 
means  always  to  have  before  our  eyes  the  great  and  august, 
the  almighty  and  omniscient  God,  so  that  we  fear  to  sin  against 
Him".  He  had  better  not  introduce  the  dogmatic  distinction 
between  filial  and  servile  fear,  since  the  fear  taught  in  the 
First  Commandment,  thus  defined,  does  not  quite  tally  with 
the  filial  fear. — Likewise,  since  he  expounds  the  First  Command- 
ment to  Christian  children,  he  will  refrain  from  any  reference 
to  pagan  idolatry;  still  less  will  he  appropriate  the  more  than 
questionable  distinction  between  coarse  and  refined  idolatry,  but, 
with  Luther,  confine  himself  to  that  idolatry  of  Christians  (cf. 
the  Large  Catechism)  which  fears,  loves,  and  trusts  something 
else  more  than  it  does  God,  and  which,  for  a  Christian,  to  whom 
God  has  revealed  Himself  as  his  God  and  father,  is  coarser  and 
more  wicked  than  any  species  of  pagan  idolatry.  The  side- 
light from  the  heathen,  pedagogically,  will  appear  to  him  merely 
as    a    deviation,    calculated   to    represent   the    idolatry   of   Chris- 


364  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

tians  as  the  lesser  offense.  The  vigorous  underscoring  of  the 
"above  all  things"  will  so  monopolize  his  attention  that  no  time 
is  left  for  anything  else.  The  best  exposition  of  the  First 
Commandment  of  the  Lutheran  Catechism  is  found  in  the 
"Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Children",  of  1533  (Reu  I,  1,  p.  465  ff.), 
save  that  at  one  place  a  reference  to  God's  wrath  has  erro- 
neously crept  into  the  explanation  of  the  fear  of  God. 

In  explaining  the  remaining  commandments,  the  catechist 
will  take  pains  regularly  to  stress  the  "we  should  fear  and 
love  God"  of  Luther,  lest  he  inculcate  Old  Testament  instead 
of  New  Testament,  mediaeval  instead  of  evangelical  and  re- 
formatory ethics.  Eventually  he  will  accept  no  other  answer  to 
the  question,  What  does  God  require  in  this  or  that  command- 
ment? than  this:  "We  should  fear  and  love  God".  In  this 
way  the  two-fold  fact  is  forcibly  brought  home:  the  unity  of 
Christian  ethics  and  the  fundamental  truth  that  no  work  pleases 
God  unless  it  come  from  a  heart  that  fears  and  loves  Him 
(p.  110  f.).  Says  Luther  in  the  Large  Catechism:  "The  First 
Commandment,  accordingly,  is  to  shine  and  communicate  its 
splendor  to  all  the  others.  For  this  reason  you  should  make  this 
commandment  the  link  which  connects  all  of  them  into  a  whole, 
or  as  twine  that  unites  the  flowers  into  a  wreath.  Thus  the 
end  is  brought  into  harmony  with  the  .beginning,  and  all  com- 
mandments kept  together,  with  the  result  that  constant  repeti- 
tion will  stamp  it  upon  the  memory,  etc."  (Weimar  Edition, 
vol.  30,  1,  p.  181;  Jacobs,  Book  of  Concord,  p.  437;  §  §  326—329). 
In  his  Sermon  on  Good  Works  (1520)  Luther  calls  the  faith 
required  in  the  First  Commandment  the  Christian's  "health" 
and  says :  "Health  must  come  first,  then  all  members  of  the 
body  will  properly  function;  just  so  faith  must  be  overseer  and 
captain  of  all  the  works  that  are  performed,  or  they  are  noth- 
ing" (Weimar  Edition,  vol.  6,  p.  213).  The  other  command- 
ments, from  the  second  to  the  tenth,  merely  bring  out  in  what 
manner  the  fear  and  love  of  God  is  to  show  itself  in  thought, 
word,  and  deed ;  whereunto  it  is  to  "drive  and  impel  us"  (vol. 
30.  1,  p.  181,  sixth  line;  Reu,  Explanation  of  Luther's  Cate- 
chism, p.  33).  That  Luther,  in  constantly  repeating  the  First 
Commandment  in  his  explanation  of  the  others,  does  not  like- 
wise repeat  the  word  "trust"  but  confines  himself  to  the  words 
"fear"  and  "love",  is  probably  explained  by  the  fact  that  both 


The  Catechism  365 

the  positive  and  negative  injunctions  in  the  several  command- 
ments correspond  better  to  the  words  "fear"  and  "love  "  than  to 
the  word  "trust",  especially  since  Luther  used  it  in  a  unique 
sense— trusting  God  for  leading  us  in  the  best  way.  This 
view  is  borne  out  by  the  Large  Catechism;  for  we  read:  "What- 
ever blessing  thou  desirest,  thou  shouldst  look  to  Me  for;  and 
where  thou  art  confronted  by  adversity  and  grief,  crawl  and 
cling  to  Me :  I  will  accord  thee  abundance  and  deliverance  from 
every  trouble;  only  do  not  let  thy  heart  lean  and  rest  upon  any 
other".  Once  more,  "Look  to  Me  for  everything,  and  take  Me 
for  the  One  who  is  willing  to  help  thee  and  pour  out  upon  thee 
an  abundance  of  blessings".  Yet  again,  "We  should  trust  in 
God  alone  and  look  to  Him  for  nothing  but  blessings,  expecting 
to  receive  at  His  hands  body,  life,  meat,  drink,  food,  health, 
protection,  peace  and  every  needed  blessing,  whether  temporal 
or  spiritual;  in  addition  to  all  this,  to  preserve  us  from  dis- 
aster, and,  if  we  should  meet  with  any  mishap,  to  save  and  help 
us.  God  alone  being  the  author  of  all  our  blessings  and  the 
deliverer  from  all  disaster"  (vol.  30,  1,  p.  133  ff.).  So  under- 
stood, trust  cannot  at  once  be  recognized  by  the  child  as  a 
motive  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  Law.  What  is  meant  by  trust. 
the  child  can  understand  much  better  in  connection  with  the 
conclusion,  where  Luther  expresses  the  notion  this  way:  "If 
we  keep  the  commandments,  without  perceiving  much  of  the 
promised  'grace  and  every  blessing',  we  should  not  be  dismayed 
by  the  unexpected  experience,  but  cling  to  our  conviction  and 
trust  to  God  that,  in  due  time,  He  shall  own  our  actions  as 
done  for  Him  and  crown  our  efforts  with  a  happy  issue". — That 
Luther  meant  to  correlate  the  fear  of  God  rather  with  the 
negative  features  of  the  commandments,  and  the  love  of  God 
with  the  positive  ones,  is  a  view  doubtless  warranted  by  facts; 
but  we  shall  not  attach  undue  weight  to  Luther's  bias  in  the 
premises  when  we  make  the  discovery  that  the  Sixth  Command- 
ment, which  begins  likewise  with  "We  should  fear  and  love 
God",    contains    only   positive   statements. 

The  conjunction  "dass"  in  the  explanation  of  command- 
ments 2—10  has  not  received  the  same  acceptation  everywhere. 
The  first  Latin  translation  (in  the  Enchiridion  piarum  pre- 
cationum,  1529)  and,  in  part,  also  the  third  (by  Justus  Jonas. 
1539),    change   the   whole   construction,    offering,    instead,    some- 


366  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

thing  like  this :  Debemus  Deum  timere  et  amare,  divinum 
eius  verbum  non  contemnere  aut  negligere,  sed  illud  potius 
magnificre  et  venerari,  libenter  tum  audire  ab  aliis,  turn 
alios  docere.  The  second  Latin  edition  (by  Sauromannus,  1529) 
and  the  fourth  (by  Hiob  Magdeburg,  1560)  construe  the  conjunc- 
tion as  final,  rendering  it  by  "ut"  or  "ne"  (i.  g.,  Debemus  Deum 
timere  et  diligere,  ne  divinos  sermones,  eius  verbum  contem- 
namus,  sed  ut  sanctum  reputemus,  etc.;  or,  Timendus  et  aman- 
dus  Deus  est,  ne  sacras  conciones  et  ipsius  verbum  negligamus, 
sed  ut  illud  sancte  veneremur,  etc.).  The  Greek  translation 
have  toare  or  Iva,  or,  with  antecedent  del,  they  continue  with  the 
infinitive  (Hiob  Magdeburg :  Aei  iv  (pößu  Kai  dydirrj  rov  0eoi> 
rjfiäs  firj  Kara<t>poveiv  Krjpvy/xaTOs  rov  deiov  \byov  kt\)  .  Menius  (1532) 
and  others  after  him  construe  the  word  mcdally  and  add  by 
way  of  interpretation  the  word  "so"  (e.  g.,  We  should  so  fear 
and  love  God  that  we  do  not  despise  preaching,  etc.).  With 
this  corresponds  the  former  English  translation :  We  should 
so  fear  and  love  God  as  not  to  despise  His  word,  etc.  It  ap- 
pears that  Luther  looked  upon  the  conjunction  in  question  as 
consequential ;  for  he  writes  in  the  Large  Catechism  (vol.  30. 
1,  p.  181)  :  "In  the  same  manner  such  fear,  love,  and  trust 
should  move  and  impel  us  that  we  do  not  despise  His  word, 
but  teach,  hear,  sanctify,  and  honor  it".  This  quotation  war- 
rants the  conclusion  drawn  by  Albrecht  that  the  clauses  begin- 
ning with  "sondern"  are  to  be  construed  as  being  governed  by 
"dass"  instead  of  being  considered  as  independent  clauses. 
The  explanation  of  the  Sixth  Commandment  does  not  con- 
tradict this  view;  and  the  explanation  of  the  Eighth  Com- 
mandment, which  repeats  the  "sollen"  after  "sondern"  represents 
an  exception. 

The  history  of  Luther's  Catechism  in  the  English  language 
evidences  the  difficulty  to  reconcile  the  meaning  couched  in 
Luthers  original  with  the  genius  of  the  English  language.  The 
following  quotations  may  serve  as  illustration:  "We  should 
fear  and  love  God,  that  we  may  not  despise  preaching  and  His 
word";  "We  should  so  fear  and  love  God  as  not  to  despise 
preaching  and  His  word";  "We  should  fear  and  love  God,  and 
not  despise  preaching  and  His  word.  .  ."  The  last  translation 
deserves  preference  from  the  standpoint  of  expression.  Al- 
though,   rhetorically,    the   two    clauses    of   the    sentence    are   co- 


The  Catechism  367 

ordinate,   a   brief  and   simple   explanation   is   sufficient  to  bring 
out  the  original   meaning  of  Luther's. 

As  regards  the  text  of  the  Second  Commandment,  the  threat 
connected  with  it  according  to  its  wording  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment was  neither  added  by  Luther  nor  ever  found  in  the  edi- 
tions of  the  Catechism  appearing  during  his  life-time.  The 
■catechist  has  so  much  less  reason  for  wishing  to  correct  Lu- 
ther as  the  demand  for  the  addition  in  this  country  is  largely 
based  upon  the  erroneous  conception  that  we  are  tied  to  the 
words  of  the  Old  Testament  (p.  ).  At  all  events,  the  cate- 
chist, in  view  of  this  addition,  will  take  care  not  to  interpret 
Luther's  "fear"  in  the  light  of  the  divinely  threatened  penalty. 
By  that  construction  he  would  merely  vitiate  what  he  has  taught 
concerning  the  meaning  of  this  word  in  the  First  Command- 
ment and  what  he  will  teach  again  in  commandments  Three  to 
Ten.  Moreover,  he  would  anticipate  the  comments  to  be  made, 
according  to  Luther,  upon  the  conclusion  of  the  commandments. 
Also,  Luther  did  not  use  the  word  "misuse" — missbrauchen,  as 
in  his  Germap  Bible,  but  the  phrase  "take  in  vain" — unnuetz- 
lich  fuehren. — The  term  "swear"  has  been  misunderstood  for 
so  long  a  time  that  the  correct  view  of  it  cannot  gain  ground 
without  encountering  considerable  obstacles.  As  commonly 
understood,  it  meani  swearing  in  court.  If  this  meaning  be 
accepted,  the  word  must  be  presumed  to  forbid  the  taking  of 
an  oath  altogether  or  the  taking  of  a  false  oath.  Luther,  how- 
ever, knows  nothing  of  the  first  interpretation,  declaring,  in 
his  Large  Catechism,  the  taking  of  an  oath  to  be  "a  very  good 
work,  whereby  God  is  glorified".  The  second  interpretation 
would  be  permissible;  for  the  confessional  books  of  the  Middle 
Ages  contain  examples  of  the  current  usage  to  use  the  phrase 
"not  to  swear"  as  an  equivalent  of  "not  to  swear  falsely". 
However,  the  term  "swear"  here  also  denotes  the  thoughtless 
swearirfg  of  every-day  life.  Which  of  the  two  Luther  had  in 
mind,  had  best  be  decided  by  his  catechetical  sermons  of 
1528  and  the  Large  Catechism,  drawn  from  these.  There  is  no 
doubt  whatever  that,  in  the  Large  Catechism  particularly,  all 
emphasis  is  placed  upon  lying  and  deceiving  in  the  name  of  God, 
a  conception  which  is  designed  to  cover  expressly  false  swear- 
ing, or  perjury.  The  Latin  translator,  at  the  very  place  that 
suggests  the  concise  wording  of  the  Small  Catechism,  does  not 


368  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

at  all  employ  the  word  "jurare",  but  writes :  "illud  blasphe- 
mando,  execrando,  maledicendo,  incantando,  ignominiose  usur- 
pamus".  The  obvious  conclusion  is  that  Luther,  in  this  con- 
nection, had  in  mind  the  thoughtless  swearing  of  every-day 
life,  a  view  already  found  also  in  Kantz,  1542;  Meckhart,  1553; 
Trotzendorf,  about  1556;  the  Joachimsthal  Catechism,  1574; 
Opitius,  1588,  and  elsewhere.  Or  "swearing"  could  be  grouped 
with  cursing,  so  that,  viewed  as  a  virtual  synonym  of  that 
word,  it  would  be  equivalent  to  the  phrase  ''use  profane  lan- 
guage". If  Luther's  intentions  become  the  guide  for  the  cate- 
chist,  he  will  treat  of  perjury  under  the  head  of  lying  and  de- 
ceiving by  the  name  of  God;  of  the  just,  divinely  warranted, 
oath,  under  the  head  of  "call  upon  the  name  of  God"  (cf.  Large 
Catechism;  Trotzendorf;  Dresser,  1561;  Huberinus,  1544;  and 
others).  He  will  thus  avoid  the  pedagogic  error  of  treating 
something  enjoined  and  classed  as  a  good  work  under  the  head 
of  things  forbidden  (cf.  Reu,  Explanation  of  Luther's  Small 
Catechism,  p.  34  ff.). 

In  the  explanation  of  the  Third  Commandment  the  catechist 
will  take  special  pains  to  enforce  the  evangelical  conception 
of  the  Sunday,  so  that  the  institution  of  the  Sunday  is  recog- 
nized as  what  it  is — an  arrangement  of  the  Church  (pages 
109 — 110).  For  this  reason,  he  will  not  be  inclined  to  sur- 
render the  form  prescribed  by  Luther,  "Thou  shalt  sanctify  the 
holy  day",  and  possibly  exchange  it  for  the  "Remember  the 
Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy",  although  he  is  aware  that  Luther 
did  not  originate  the  preferred  form,  and  that  it  does  not  ex- 
actly correspond  to  the  evangelical  conception  of  Sunday, 
which,  according  to  Col.  2,  16,  knows  of  no  divinely  intended 
distinction  at  all  between  one  day  of  the  week  and  another. 
It  is  true  that  the  adoption  of  the  conventional  English  form, 
"Remember  the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy",  does  not  neces- 
sarily imply  a  denial  of  evangelical  liberty.  It  is  found* in  all 
the  Latin  translations  of  the  sixteenth  century  (also  in  the 
Book  of  Concord  of  1580),  and,  through  the  influence  of  the 
Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Children,  also  in  several  German  re- 
prints and  enlarged  editions  (for  instance,  even  in  the  Nurem- 
berg Textbook  for  Children,  composed  in  1628  and  in  use 
throughout  the  seventeenth  century).  Still,  Luther's  form,  in 
view  of  being  a  departure  from  the  wording  of  the  Old  Testa- 


The  Catechism  369 

mcnt,  is  better  adapted  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  Lutherans 
their  ireedom  from  the  literal  phraseology  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Decalogue.  While,  formerly,  little  depended  upon  the 
wording  as  such,  inasmuch  as  Calvin  as  well  as  Luther  took 
care  of  rightly  understanding  the  words  in  question,  it  is  well 
to  pay  more  attention  to  a  correct  formulation  at  this  day. 
In  the  first  place,  the  sections  that  went  over  to  the  Reformed 
Church  (e.  g.,  Anhalt,  Palatinate,  Lower  Hesse),  were  of  the 
opinion  that  they  were  called  upon  to  "purge"  or  "reform"  Lu- 
ther's explanation  of  the  Decalogue  by  adding  the  words  of  the 
Old  Testament,  altogether  ignoring  the  New  Testament  free- 
dom from  the  Jewish  Decalogue  (Reu,  I,  1,  p.  217;  I,  22,  p.  377; 
I,  2,  p.  278  ff.).  In  the  second  place,  a  fundamentally  false. at- 
titude toward  the  Old  Testament  and  its  law  is  enunciated  by 
the  Reformed  of  today  when  they  demand  a  literal  rendering  of 
the  Mosaic  Decalogue.  A  repeated  perusal  of  the  section  of 
the  Large  Catechism  in  question  is  likely  to  be  the  best  prepara- 
tion of  the  catechist  for  his  task  of  giving  a  truly  evangelical 
explanation  of  the  Third  Commandment.  After  emphasizing 
the  correct  attitude  toward  the  Word  and  its  proclamation; 
after  enlarging  upon  the  blessing  and  importance  of  these, 
the  catechist  will  find  that  his  pupils  will  not  despise  the  Church 
institution  of  Sunday;  they  will  rather  be  glad  of  the  oppor- 
tunity of  meeting  together  Sunday  after  Sunday,  of  praying  to- 
gether, of  hearing  God's  Word  together,  of  using  the  Holy  Sac- 
rament, and,  by  that  practise,  of  manifesting  and  edifying  them- 
selves as  a  Christian  congregation,  of  laying  aside  all  temporal 
labor  that  might  prevent  them  from  appearing  at  the  common 
service  and  afterward  quietly  meditating  upon  what  has  been 
heard  and  learned.  Thus  is  made  possible  a  Sunday  rest  that, 
quite  apart  from  a  purely  human  need  of  rest  and  the  social 
aspect  of  the  question,  bears  the  impress  of  the  Gospel. — When 
the  origin  of  Sunday  as  an  institution  of  the  Church  is  under 
discussion,  it  is  customary  to  mention,  alongside  the  fact  of 
Sunday  being  the  day  of  Christ's  resurrection,  that  Pentecost, 
too,  fell  upon  that  day  (thus  also  in  our  larger  Explanation  of 
the  Catechism).  However,  since  this  circumstance  was  no  factor 
at  all  in  the  choice  of  just  Sunday  as  the  day  of  rest,  that  argu- 
ment is  irrelevant. 

Although  the  several  statements  of  the  Fourth  Command- 


370  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

ment,  grammatically,  have  reference  to  superiors  as  well  as 
parents,  choice  has  been  made  of  them  by  Luther  with  a  view 
to  the  latter  rather  than  the  former,  a  fact  that  the  catechist 
dare  not  forget.  Nevertheless,  while  enjoining  upon  his  pupils 
the  duties  toward  their  parents,  it  will  be  incumbent  upon  him  to 
flash  the  light  of  Scripture  also  upon  the  relation  toward  supe- 
riors, which  is  done  best  by  drawing  upon  the  Table  of  Duties 
(Haustafel)  for  aid.  The  duty  of  the  catechist  becomes  so 
much  more  pronounced  in  this  respect  as  it  is  largely  thought 
that  the  injunctions  of  the  Bible  have  been  abrogated  by  the 
force  of  present-day  conditions.  Yet,  however  radical  the 
change  of  social  conditions,  the  duties  of  deference  to  author- 
ity and  faithful  service  stand  unaffected.  The  thought  that  the 
parents  are  God's  own  representatives,  and  that  all  authority 
of  superiors  in  school  and  state  is  rooted  in  the  parental  office 
thus  defined, — a  thought  that  has  received  classical  expression 
in  the  Large  Catechism,  is  of  abiding  moment.  The  better 
the  catechist  succeeds  in  arousing  consciences  in  this  respect 
the  greater  is  his  success  in  the  schoolroom  in  maintaining  unim- 
paired the  foundations  of  a  healthy  public  life.— Rightly  Kaftan 
points  out  that  the  Fifth  Commandment  refers  to  the  exhibition 
of  the  fear  and  love  of  God  merely  in  the  sphere  of  the  neigh- 
bor's bodily  life,  for  which  reason  a  teacher  influenced  by  Lu- 
ther's example  should  not  treat  here  of  the  commission  of  spi- 
ritual harm  and  murder.  Even  the  expression  "harm"  (Leid 
tun)  does  not  warrant  such  conclusion;  for  though  the  term 
selected  by  Luther  (Leid)  is  not  the  equivalent  of  the  German 
"Schaden"  and  our  English  "harm",  denoting  rather  suffering 
in  the  sphere  of  the  soul,  Luther,  in  this  connection,  does  refer 
it  to  the  neighbor's  body  (we  should  fear  and  love  God,  and 
not  hurt  nor  harm  our  neighbor  in  his  body).  Accordingly  the 
subject  under  consideration  is  "an  injury  dealt  to  the  body 
through  harm  done  to  the  soul".  The  right  explanation  would 
therefore  be :  "To  embitter  and  shorten  the  life  of  the  neighbor 
through  envious  looks,  hateful  words,  hostile  acts,  as  was  done 
by  Esau  and  the  sons  of  Jacob".  When,  on  the  other  hand, 
Kaftan,  proposes  to  treat  also  of  suicide  under  this  head,  he 
goes  beyond  Luther  and,  likewise,  beyond  the  original  intent 
of  the  Mosaic  law,  since  from  the  Fourth  Commandment  on,  the 
relation   to   one's   fellow-men   there    constitutes   the   dominating 


The  Catechism  371 

thought  common  to  all  these  commandments,  although  the  term 
"neighbor"  as  such  does  not  occur  until  the  Eighth  Command- 
ment. Suicide  had  best  be  treated  in  connection  with  the  Sixth 
Petition.— In  the  Sixth  Commandment,  the  words  "ein  jeglicher 
sein  Gemahl  lieben  und  ehren"  are  hardly  to  be  construed  as  an 
additional  main  clause.  The  words  are  governed  by  the  con- 
junction "dass".  und  "ein  jeglicher"  refers  back  to  the  sub- 
ject "wir";  so  it  ought  to  be  translated  :  "and  that  each  of  us  love 
and  honor  their  spouse".  "Gemahl" — spouse — as  usual  with 
Luther,  is  neuter,  although  he  probably  had  woman  in  mind 
(cf.  ein  jeglicher).  The  obligation  resting  upon  the  catechist 
to  explain  the  words  employed  and  also  the  present  conditions 
require  a  brief  discussion  of  the  nature  of  matrimony  and  a 
strong  emphasis  upon  its  divine  origin  and  indissoluble  char- 
acter. While  the  duties  of  husband  and  wife  need  merely  be 
touched  upon,  the  phrase  "live  chaste  and  pure",  etc.,  requires  a 
thorough  as  well  as  tactful  treatment.  In  this,  Luther's  restric- 
tion to  the  positive  element,  of  transcendent  value  pedagogically, 
should  be  the  pattern  for  every  teacher,  especially  when  boys 
and  girls  are  to  be  taught  together.  That  which  is  forbidden 
"should  be  allowed  to  show  itself  only  as  the  shadow,  as  it  were, 
of  that  enjoined".  If  there  should  be  an  occasion  to  enter  into 
details,  it  should  be  done  through  private  conversation  with  the 
individual.  For  the  practical  treatment  of  the  subject  much  can 
be  learned  from  Ziethe,  von  Rohden,  and  Heydt,  "Die  unter- 
richtliche  Behandlung  des  6.  Gebots  in  der  Schule.  Drei  ge- 
kroente  Preisschriften"  thirteenth  Edition,  Berlin,  1894.— The 
Seventh  Commandment  is  to  show  us  how  the  fear  and  love 
of  God  is  to  reveal  itself  in  relation  to  the  neighbor's  property, 
ft  is  impossible  to  unfold  Luther's  text  without  demonstrating 
the  divine  sanction  of  property  and  the  distinction  as  made  by 
God  Himself,  and  between  rich  and  poor,  without  casting  the 
light  of  truth  upon  the  dishonesty  and  perfidy  obtaining  in  the 
commercial  relations  under  the  children's  eyes.  The  salient 
words  serving  this  latter  purpose  are  "nor  get  it  by  false  ware 
and  dealing"  (falsis  mercibus  aut  impostura,  in  the  translation 
of  Sauermann;  corruptis  mercibus  aut  fraude  aliqua,  in  the 
first;  falsis  mercibus,  ullis  malis  artibus  proximum  decipiamus. 
in  the  third;  fucosis  mercibus  aliisque  actionibus  fraudulentis 
nobis  ea  vendicemus,  in  the  fourth  Latin  translation).    "Such  do- 


372  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

ings  are  found  where  these  wares  are  sold  or  debts  are  not  paid, 
whether  in  the  case  of  individuals  (curtailing  of  wages,  frivo- 
lous borrowing),  or  of  the  body  politic  (avoiding  of  taxes, 
smuggling),  or  of  failure  to  meet  the  obligation  incurred 
(shabby  work),  or  of  damage  done  to  the  neighbor's  property 
through  embezzlement  or  exploitation  of  distress  (usury),  or 
false  representations  (beggary),  etc."  (Kaftan).  Also  the  tricks 
of  labor  unions  and  trusts,  insofar  as  they  result  in  material 
loss  to  the  neighbor,  are  entitled  to  attention  should  the  occa- 
sion for  a  discussion  of  them  arise  (cf.  our  Explanation  of  the 
Catechism).  However,  the  catechist  should  never  forget  that 
he  is  to  judge  of  all  these  things  neither  from  the  legal  nor 
from  the  social-political,  but  from  the  religious  standpoint,  so 
that,  also  here,  not  natural,  but  Christian,  evangelical  ethics  are 
inculcated.  Here,  too,  Luther  has  placed  in  the  foreground  the 
fear  and  love  of  God  as  both  source  of  power  and  motive  of  ac- 
tion. Only  he  who  fears  and  loves  God  will  recognize  the  divine 
order,  also  in  regard  to  property,  and  beware  of  displeasing  the 
divinely  imposed  bounds  and  barriers;  for  he  knows  that  he  has 
in  his  heavenly  Father  the  treasure  of  treasures  and  a  helper 
even  in  poverty  and  distress ;  also,  that  earthly  property  has 
never  permanently  satisfied  the  heart.  Only  the  lover  of  God 
can  aid  in  the  protection  and  improvement  of  the  neighbor's 
property  and  business,  inasmuch  as  no  other  has  learned  from 
the  heavenly  Father  that  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  re- 
ceive. The  term  employed  by  Luther — "Nahrung",  does  not  here 
signify  food,  or  provisions,  as  in  the  First  Article,  but  is  used 
in  a  wider  sense,  signifying  the  means  of  livelihood,  the  source 
of  income — trade,  business  (Gen.  46,  33  f.) ;  then,  in  general,  in- 
come, earnings,  property,  "conditio",  second  Latin  translation. 
In  the  second  half  of  the  explanation  it  is  not  a  threefold  duty 
that  is  enjoined:  help,  improve,  protect;  but  one:  we  should  help 
to  improve  and  protect  the  neighbor's  property  and  business 
(Sauromannus  :  sed  demus  operam,  ut  illius  opes  conserventur 
et  ejus  conditio  melior  reddatur;  H.  Magdeburg:  sed  ad  augen- 
das  facultates  ejus  et  conservandam  rem  familiärem  prompti 
simus). — The  Eighth  Commandment  would  prompt  us  to  exhibit 
the  fear  and  love  of  God  by  exemplifying  both  truth  and  love 
in  all  that  is  said  by  us  about  the  neighbor.  Well  it  is  said  by 
Th,   Harnack.   in  his   Explanation  of  the   Catechism    (Kateche- 


The  Catechism  373 

tik  II,  Erlangen,  1882)  :  "Truth  and  love  must  always  be  found 
together.  Truth  protects  love  from  the  fault  of  good-natured 
indulgence  and  weakness,  which  argue  indifference  to  the  truth 
of  the  matter.  Love,  conversely,  protects  truth  from  the  sever- 
ity of  injustice  arising  from  indifference  to  the  person.  For  this 
reason  truth  is  the  light  and  salt  of  love,  while  love  is  the  fire 
and  warmth  of  truth"  (Compare  in  connection  with  this  and 
the  other  commandments,  in  addition  to  Luther's  Large  Cate- 
chism, the  Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Children  (Reu,  I,  1,  pp. 
462 — 564) — a  work  always  instructive,  though  occasionally  going 
beyond  Luther.  "Belie"— beluegen,  according  to  Luther's  usage, 
does  not  by  any  means  signify  to  lie  to  anyone,  but  to  lie  about 
him,  to  spread  lies  about  him;  "falsely"  is  added,  not  only 
to  add  force  to  the  conception  of  falsehood  conveyed  by  the 
verb  "belie",  but  also  to  disclose  the  motive  back  of  such  false- 
hood— to  speak  as  a  deceiver,  purposely  and  craftily  to  utter 
a  falsehood,  in  order  to  harm  the  neighbor.  "To  betray"  means 
to  imperil  someone  through  disclosure  of  what  ought  to  be  kept 
secret;  it  is  equivalent  to  the  Latin  prodere.  (This  being  its 
meaning,  the  example  of  Judas,  frequently  adduced,  is  barely 
suitable.  The  motive  of  Judas  was  quite  different;  nor  did 
Jesus  desire  the  place  where  He  kept  Himself  to  remain  con- 
cealed.) "Afterreden  oder  boesen  Leumund  machen"  Luther 
writes  and  thus  connects  these  two  verbs  so  closely  as  "luegen 
and  truegen"  in  the  2d  or  "abdringen  und  abwendig  machen" 
in  the  10th  Commandment.  The  slandering  (boesen  Leumund 
machen)  is  done  by  means  of  backbiting  (afterreden) ;  back- 
bite has  the  effect  of  the  neighbor  being  defamed,  a  bad  repu- 
tation resulting  from  the  cowardly  dissemination  of  falsehood 
behind  his  back.  Hiob  Magdeburg  combines  both  notions  into 
one  in  his  splendid  translation:  "Timendus  et  amandus  Deus 
est.  ne  de  proximo  dicamus  mendacium  aut  injuste  ilium  de- 
feramus  neve  existimationem  ejus  violemus  lingua  futili,  sed  ut 
ilium  excusemus,  bene  de  illo  loquamur  et  in  meliorem  partem 
interpretamur  omnia".  Sauermann  retains  also  the  adverb 
"falsely" :  "ne  proximum  falsis  mendaciis  involvamus".  The 
German  word  "Leumund"  is  by  no  means  an  abbreviation  for 
"der  Leute  Mund";  its  old  High  German  equivalent  is 
"hliumunt"  the  root  of  which  is  the  Gothic  "hliuma" :  ear. 
hearing;  so  "Leumund"  is  ==  fama.  =  fame,  and  "boesen  Leu- 


374  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

mund  machen"  =  defame.  The  Joachimsthal  Catechism  (prob- 
ably based  on  Mathesius),  1574:  "'Falsely  belie',  that  is,  to 
accuse  untruthfully  and  inform  upon  one  before  the  authorities 
and  other  people;  to  impute  to  others  the  abuse  of  which 
oneself  is  guilty  and  not  to  accuse  one  to  his  face,  like  Gehazi". 
"To  betray"  means  to  divulge  everything,  to  peddle  around  what 
we  have  heard  and  to  be  mongers  of  scandal;  likewise,  with- 
out necessity  to  reveal  secrets,  as  the  Siphites  in  the  case  of 
David.  "Backbite"  (afterreden),  to  make  known  behind  their 
backs  what  other  people  do  and  say;  to  censure  and  put  the 
worst  construction  upon  it.  as  did  Doeg.  To  "slander"  (boesen 
Leumund  machen)  means  by  cutting  remarks  to  hack  his  honor 
to  pieces,  as  meat  is  hacked  to  pieces  upon  the  butcher's  table, 
with  the  result  that  thus  evil  suspicion  fastens  to  him  and  he  is 
robbed  of  his  good  name,  as  was  done  by  Absalom  in  the  case 
of  his  father  David".  Tetelbach,  1568:  "Excuse,  means  to  de- 
fend the  neighbor  against  evil  mouths  and  false  tongues;  to 
speak  well  of  him,  to  evince  a  kindly  disposition  toward  him 
wherever  he  is  the  subject  of  conversation;  to  put  the  best 
construction  on  everything,  to  cover  up  the  frailty  and  fall 
of  the  neighbor  and  to  excuse  and  explain  them  as  best  we  can 
to  those  who  speak  ill  of  them".  Siber,  1575:  "ut  ad  calumnia- 
tores  excusemus.  obtrectantes  refutemus,  et  commode  sentientes 
de  illo  in  melius  omnia,  interpretando  accipiamus".  Tetelbach, 
who  understood  Luther,  in  that,  in  connection  with  every  com- 
mandment, he  points  to  the  root  of  true  fulfillment — the  fear 
and  love  of  God.  asks  the  question :  Who  transgresses  this 
commandment?  His  answer  is*  Those  who  do  not  fear  God, 
but  follow  the  devil,  the  father  of  all  liars  and  slanderers.  After- 
ward he  asks  the  other  question.  Who  fulfills  this  command- 
ment? His  answer  is:  Those  who  love  God;  for  the  love  of 
God  works  in  us  truthfulness,  sincerity,  and  a  helpful  tongue 
(Reu.  I.  1.  p.  681). 

As  to  the  Ninth  and  the  Tenth  Commandments,  Luther, 
at  an  earlier  period,  was  in  the  habit  of  treating  them  as  one. 
If  now,  in  the  Small  Catechism,  he  treats  them  separately,  it  is 
not  because  he  has  come  to  the  conclusion  in  the  meantime  that 
the  verb  in  the  Ninth  Commandment  (Deuteronomy  5,  18,  cha- 
mad  and  afterward  awah)  gives  it  a  meaning  different  from  that 
of  the  Tenth,  in  that  it  forbids  concupiscentia  inheridata,  while 


The  Catechism  375 

the  Tenth  Commandment  forbids  concupiscentia  actualis;  for 
while,  in  his  previous  expositions  of  this  subject,  he  made  ori- 
ginal sin  the  burden  of  both  commandments,  he  here  says  noth- 
ing whatever  on  that  subject.  Nor  did  he  keep  them  apart  be- 
cause he  realized  all  at  once  that  the  object,  in  the  Ninth  Com- 
mandment, is  a  singular,  while  it  is  a  plural  in  the  Tenth ;  for 
there  is  no  evidence  whatever  of  such  change  of  mind,  and  his 
contraction  of  the  two  objects  named  in  the  Bible — ox  and  ass, 
into  one — cattle  (Vieh)  is  an  argument  against  this  view. 
Luther's  motive  was  probably  concern  for  the  young  that  had 
to  learn  these  commandments,  who  would  have  found  it  strange 
to  hnd  no  separate  explanation  for  each  commandment  as  long 
as  they  were  held  to  number  them  separately,  in  accordance 
with  the  traditional  practise.  The  catechist  who  does  not  aim 
to  supplement  Luther's  Catechism — but  merely  to  unfold  it,  will, 
for  this  reason,  hardly  take  the  pains  to  find  a  difference  be- 
tween the  Ninth  and  the  Tenth  Commandment,  especially  since, 
until  today,  no  irrefutable  difference  has  been  shown.  But  if 
he  feels  the  need  to  explain  why  the  Tenth  Commandment  is 
numbered  separately,  the  method  of  the  "Nuremberg  Sermons 
for  Children"  commends  itself  as  most  practicable,  provided 
we  shall  not  bring  in  the  difference  between  inherited  and  actual 
concupiscence.  There  we  read :  "Having  learned  in  the  pre- 
vious commandment  that  we  should  not  desire  to  dispossess  the 
neighbor  of  his  house,  position,  or  calling,  we  might  come  to 
the  conclusion  that,  while  we  should  not  desire  his  house  as  a 
whole,  to.  desire  a  part  of  it,  such  as  a  good  servant  or  ox, 
and  the  employment  of  ways  and  means  to  accomplish  our  de- 
sire is  right.  Lest  we  should  entertain  such  a  thought,  God 
forbids  that,  too,  and  says  :  'Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neigh- 
bor's wife,  nor  his  man-servant,  nor  his  maid-servant,  nor  his 
ox,  nor  his  ass,  or  anything  that  is  thy  neighbor's'.  Otherwise 
the  thought  might  come  to  us :  Oh,  even  though  I  take  this 
or  that  from  my  neighbor,  it  will  not  harm  him;  for  he  has 
enough  of  such  or  similar  possessions  left.  But  this  is  what  the 
Lord  does  not  want;  hence  he  summarily  forbids  us  to  covet 
anything  whatever  possessed  by  the  neighbor".  In  this  con- 
nection color  may  be  given  to  the  explanation  by  an  opposite 
reflection,  namely,  that  the  house  or  piece  of  ground  inherited 
by  the  Israelite  had  an  added  value  in  his  case,  in  that  it  was 


376  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

to  him  a  guarantee  of  his  share  in  the  promised  land  (cf.  the 
laws  bearing  upon  the  year  of  restoration;  see  also  Kirchl. 
Zeitschrift,  1917,  p.  372  ff.). 

More  important  than  the  question  as  to  the  difference  be- 
tween the  Ninth  and  the  Tenth  Commandment  is  that  as  to  the 
progress  made  by  these  two  upon  the  preceding  ones,  especially 
the  Sixth  and  the  Seventh.  According  to  the  words  of  Scrip- 
ture, the  element  of  progress  is  indicated  by  the  verb.  If,  in 
the  previous  commandments,  the  wicked  word  and  deed  are 
forbidden,  it  is  now  the  wicked  desire,  that  is,  something  still 
a  matter  of  the  inner  world  of  the  heart,  whether  we  specify 
it  as  concupiscentia  inheridata,  or  as  concupiscentia  actualis, 
or  as  concupiscentia  already  intrenched  in  the  will.  That  these 
two  commandments  were,  in  consequence,  of  special  importance 
for  the  Jews,  who  fondly  thought  that  they  had  kept  the  Law 
if  only  they  did  not  transgress  it  in  word  and  work,  is  self- 
evident.  More  difficult  it  was  for  Luther  to  find  something  new 
in  the  last  two  commandments,  since  he  was  of  opinion  that 
every  commandment  is  to  be  applied  to  the  heart.  The  element 
of  progress,  accordingly,  could  be  found  only  in  this,  that  the 
Ninth  and  Tenth  Commandments  contain  an  injunction  against 
original  lust.  He  writes,  e.  g.,  in  the  "Decern  Praecepta  Wit- 
tenbergensi  praedicata  populo",  of  1518:  "Videtur  .  .  .  duobus 
praeceptis  prohiberi  ipse  fomes  et  invincibilis  cupiditas,  ipsa, 
inquam,  radix  malarum  cogitationum,  ut.  sc.  6  et  7  intelligantur 
prohibiti  consensus  cordis  et  signum  membrorum,  verbum  oris  et 
opus  corporis  mali,  hie  vero  etiam  ipsi  primi  motus  una  cum 
fomite,  qui  est  origo  illorum";  he  refers  to  Rom.  7, 
23.  24.  Taking  this  view,  it  is  indeed  possible  for  him  to  say  that 
the  fulfillment  of  the  other  commandments  is  possible,  while  these 
two  are  impossible  of  fulfillment  for  anyone,  no  matter  how  holy 
he  is.  In  the  light  of  them,  one  becomes  aware  of  the  truth 
that  we  are  all  sinners.  Through  them  man  learns  to  despair 
of  himself  and  his  merits,  and  to  trust  in  the  mercy  of  God.  So 
Rom.  7,  7  and  Luke  11,  39  would  be  the  key  to  the  matter. 
While,  in  the  Large  Catechism,  he  holds  fast  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  element  of  progress  upon  the  previous  commandments 
is  signaled  by  the  verb,  the  word  "covet"  is  to  him  now  no 
longer  an  expression  of  original  sin  but  of  lust  as  intrenched 
in  the  will,  although  he  admits   incidentally  that  "the  word  is 


The  Catechism  377 

somewhat  larger  and  broader".  He  writes,  "God  has  added 
these  two  commandments  for  this  reason  that  we  should  deem 
it  sinful  and  unlawful  to  desire  or  in  any  way  to  aim  at  get- 
ting our  neighbor's  wife  or  property.  It  is  required  that  no  one 
"should  plan  and  purpose  to  appropriate  for  himself  the  neigh- 
bor's possession — his  wife,  his  servants,  his  house  and  home, 
even  under  a  show  of  right  or  by  seemingly  legal  means,  yet 
with  injury  to  the  neighbor"  (30,  1,  p.  175).  Instead  of  original 
sin  he  now  recognizes  avarice  and  envy  as  the  root  of  all  sinful 
conduct  against  the  neighbor.  "Let  us,  accordingly,  retain  the 
ordinary  meaning  of  these  two  commandments,  that  it  is  en- 
joined, in  the  first  place,  not  to  desire  the  neighbor's  injury, 
nor  to  promote  and  abet  it;  and,  in  the  second  place,  never 
begrudging  him  anything,  to  leave  him  in  possession  of  his 
property,  which,  whenever  we  can  be  of  service  or  advantage 
to  him.  we  should  help  him  preserve  and  improve,  just  as  we 
should  wish  to  have  done  in  our  own  case.  The  conclusion  of 
the  matter  is  that  an  injunction  has  been  given  against  envy 
and  wretched  avarice,  so  that  God  may  remove  the  cause  and 
root  from  which  every  injury  to  the  neighbor  proceeds.  This 
He  makes  clear  by  saying :  Thou  shalt  not  covet,  etc' "  (30, 
1.  p.  178).  The  impression  is  received  that  Luther,  having  in 
mind  the  common  man  and  children,  has  confined  himself  to 
such  "ordinary  meaning".  Nor  is  it  likely  that  he  intends  to 
turn  aside  from  this  meaning  in  the  concluding  words  :  "God 
designs  principally  to  get  the  heart  pure,  although,  as  long  as 
we  live,  we  shall  be  unable  to  realize  that  design,  so  that  this 
commandment,  like  all  the  others,  remains  our  accuser  before 
God  and  a  witness  of  our  ungodliness  in  His  sight".  He  mere- 
ly means  to  say  in  all  probability  that  we  shall  not  even  succeed 
in  attaining  to  such  a  degree  of  godliness  that  we  never  yield 
to  the  evil  desire  and  never  begrudge  our  neighbor  his  pos- 
sessions. In  his  Small  Catechism  Luther  takes  his  cue  alto- 
gether from  his  statements  in  the  Large  one.  In  the  preceding 
commandments,  which  have  reference  to  our  conduct  toward  the 
neighbor,  he  has  as  a  matter  of  fact  (Kaftan  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding),  merely  spoken  of  the  words  and  works  in 
which  our  fear  and  love  of  God  is  to  find  expression,  but  not,  as 
yet,  of  the  control  that  such  fear  and  love  is  to  exert  over  our 
thoughts  in  regard  to  the  possessions   of  the  neighbor.     This, 


378  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

however,  he  now  supplements  in  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Command- 
ments, where  he  explains  "covenant"  as  denoting  "to  seek  to 
gain"  or  "to  be  intent  upon  something".  To  be  sure,  he  does 
•not  stop  there,  but  at  once  proceeds  to  enumerate  all  the  evil 
practises  to  which  one  is  but  too  likely  to  resort  who  is  intent 
upon  the  neighbor's  possessions;  but  by  using  in  his  explana- 
tion the  term  "stehen  nach"  (to  be  intent  upon)  the  verb,  and 
herewith  the  element  of  progress  in  these  commandments,  has 
not  remained  entirely  unexpressed.  The  catechist  that  desires 
to  remain  in  Luther's  footsteps  will  make  the  concept  "covet" 
his  starting-point,  and  explain:  "Covet", 'means  to  begrudge 
the  neighbor  his  possession  and  to  be  unhappy  until  it  has  be- 
come one's  own.  Thereupon  he  shows  how  such  coveting  leads 
to  the  acts  mentioned  by  Luther  in  his  explanation,  and  in- 
corporates itself  therein.  While  he  thus  would  not  find  original 
sin  forbidden  here  directly,  he  would  come  to  speak  of  it  as  he 
develops  the  subject;  for  he  would  surely  have  occasion  to  make 
clear  to  the  class  how  it  comes  that  covetous  thoughts  will 
arise  in  us  again  and  again  (cf.  also  our  Explanation,  p.  55). 
Just  in  view  of  the  persistence  with  which  covetous  thoughts 
arise  in  us,  fear  and  love  are  to  be  manifested  in  not  only  op- 
posing them,  but  in  doing  one's  best  to  help  the  neighbor  pre- 
serve his  possessions.  We  read  in  the  "Nuremberg  Sermons 
for  Children" :  "Since  we  are  aware  of  the  fact,  my  dear 
little  children,  that  coveting  is  a  sin,  le  us  guard  against  it  as 
much  as,  by  the  grace  and  help  of  God,  we  can.  But  we  should 
take  special  pains  not  to  yield  and  conform  to  any  evil  de- 
sire". "God  has  created  everything  and  is  its  true  Lord;  there- 
fore He  gives  it  to  whom  He  pleases.  Has  He  given  it  to 
your  neighbor,  let  him  be  welcome  to  it,  and  remember :  if  God 
had  wanted  me  to  have  it.  or  if  it  had  been  of  any  benefit  to  me. 
He  might  have  given  it  to  me,  too"  (Reu,  I.  1,  p.  683).  Tetel- 
bach  :  "He  who  loves  God  does  not  begrudge  his  neighbor  any 
blessings  but  is  rather  of  help  to  him  in  keeping  them"  (Reu,  I, 
1,  p.  683). 

In  regard  to  "house",  the  "Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Chil- 
dren" say :  "You  must  not  understand  merely  the  building  by 
the  little  word  'house' — the  structure  that  people  live  in,  but  the 
whole  household  and  everything  that  pertains  to  it.  For,  in  the 
Old   Testament,  the   cities   and  villages   were  distributed  among 


The  Catechism  379 

the  Jews  according  to  tribes,  and  if  any  one  did  not  belong  to  the 
particular  tribe  occupying  a  certain  place,  it  was  impossible  for 
him  to  obtain  a  house  there.  Therefore  we  may  understand  by 
the  word  'house'  as  much  as  tribe.  This,  therefore,  is  the 
meaning :  It  our  neighbor  belongs  to  a  superior  tribe  or  fam- 
ily; if  he  has  inherited  much  property;  if  he  is  the  owner  of 
a  fine  household,  possessing  citizenship,  honors  and  dignities, 
an  honorable  office,  and  everything  pertaining  to  a  householder, 
we  should  not  covet  his  house,  i.  e.,  we  should  not  have  the  least 
desire  that  he  should  lose  it,  so  that  we  might  take  his  place" 
(Reu,  I,  1,  p.  501  f.).  Tetelbach :  "By  'inheritance'  any  kind 
of  real  estate  is  meant — such  as  fields,  meadows,  gardens,  vine- 
yards, timber,  weirs,  country-seats,  and  possessions  of  that 
sort.  'House'  means  the  dwelling  of  the  neighbor  and  every- 
thing outside  and  inside  that  pertains  to  it,  for  instance,  furni- 
ture. 'To  seek  craftily'  implies  every  kind  of  intrigue  and  vick- 
ed  practise  whereby  the  neighbor  is  brought  to  grief,  deprived 
of  his  income,  or  damage  is  inflicted  upon  his  property,  so  that 
he  is  compelled  to  sell  out  and  assign  his  possessions  to  another. 
'Show  of  right'  means  to  lay  claim  to  property  by  fraudulent 
titles  and  false  pretenses ;  to  outrage  the  law  and  to  precipi- 
tate legal  action;  to  employ  unscrupulous  people  by  means  of 
bribery;  to  advocate  the  side  known  to  be  wrong,  to  pervert  the 
law  through  financial  maneuvers,  in  order  to  secure  a  favor- 
able decision  and  thus  to  obtain  the  neighbor's  property". — The 
second  half  of  the  Ninth  Commandment  should  be  construed 
in  this  manner :  "but  help  and  serve  him  in  keeping  it".  Com- 
pare the  first  Latin  translation :  "Sed  potius  juvare  eum  ut 
suas  fortunas  retineat  integras ;  the  second  :  "Sed  detur  opera 
scdulo,  ut  ista  proximo  diligenter  custodiantur";  the  Fourth: 
"Sed  ad  conservanda  ea  ut  prompti  et  parati  simus". 
"Estrange" — abspanen — means  to  bring  about  an  inner 
estrangement  by  means  of  enticement.  The  German  word  "ab- 
spanen" is  by  no  means  to  identify  with  "abspannen"  =  un- 
hitch; its  root  is  either  "spannen"  —  persuade,  lure,  entice,  or 
"spenen"  —  wean;  compare  "Spanferkel"  =  a  little  pig  recently 
weaned.  Luther  preferably  connects  the  word  with  "wife"  (30, 
1,  p.  9.  42.  84).  Tetelbach,  while  mistaken  in  regard  to  the  de- 
rivation of  the  German  term  "abspanen"  gives  the  correct  ex- 
planation :     "With  smooth  words  and  promises  to  persuade  them 


380  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

to  become  unmindful  of  their  calling  and  duty  and  thus  to 
cease  doing  right,  as  when  a  horse  is  unhitched  or  a  crossbow 
unstrung".  "To  force  away" — abdringen — Tetelbach  explains 
in  the  following  manner:  "By  threats,  force,  and  undue  pres- 
sure to  bulldoze  someone  out  of  those  upon  whom  he  has  a 
claim  and  to  abduct  them".  "Entice  away"  means,  according  to 
the  same  author,  to  steal  one's  heart  and  favor  by  gifts,  match- 
making, and  other  unprincipled  measures,  so  that  he  turns 
against  his  environment  and  wishes  for  another.  The  first 
Latin  translation  has  it :  "ad  nos  arte  aliqua  transferre,  non  vel 
vi  vel  dolo  aliquo  eos  ab  aliis  abalienare;  the  second,  "abaliene- 
mus  aut  abstrahamus";  the  fourth,  "Ne  ulla  ratione  abiliene- 
mus  et  ad  nos  alliciamus  uxorem  proximi,  servos,  aut  quic- 
quam  ex  ipsius  familia".  Right  is  Käftan  when  he  says  :  "All 
three  expressions  have  substantially  the  same  significance:  'to 
entice  away'  is  the  general  term;  'to  estrange' — abspanen — re- 
fers to  the  subject  of  such  estranging,  and  denotes  that  this 
is  accomplished  by  decoying;  'to  force  away'  refers  to  the  owner, 
and  denotes  the  use  of  forcible  pressure  as  chief  factor  in  the 
process  of  estrangement".  That  Achelis  (Der  Decalog  als  kate- 
chetisches Lehrstueck,  p.  53)  mistakenly  applies  the  term 
"estrange" — abspanen — to  animals,  the  term  "force  away"  to 
servants,  and  the  term  "entice  away"  to  the  wife,  requires  no 
argument. 

In  regard  to  the  role  assigned  by  Luther  to  the  conclusion, 
Albrecht,  in  the  Weimar  edition  of  Luther's  Works  (30,  1,  p. 
361),  recapitulates  the  matter  bearing  on  this  subject  as  follows: 
"While  Luther,  in  deference  to  tradition,  had  left  out  of  his 
text  the  prohibition  of  image  worship  together  with  the  threat 
and  the  promise,  he  accounted  them  as  parts  of  the  First  Com- 
mandment, according  to  his  own  testimony,  rendered,  as  early 
as  1525,  in  connection  with  his  commentary  on  Exodus,  com- 
pare Weimar  Edition,  vol.  16,  p.  436  ff. ;  445,  23:  "The  Promise 
and  Threat  Contained  in  the  First  Commandment".  Aside, 
however,  from  this  statement,  Luther,  in  his  earlier  catechetical 
expositions,  failed  to  take  note  of  this  addition,  although  he 
maintained  from  the  outset  the  fundamental,  controlling  import- 
ance of  the  First  Commandment.  Not  until  the  second  and 
third  series  of  Catechetical  Sermons,  of  1528  (cf.  vol.  30,  1, 
p.  43),   did  he  take  the  addition  into  consideration.     Here  al- 


The  Catechism  381 

ready  he  emphasized  the  fact  that  the  addition  was  virtually 
part  of  each  commandment  (30,  1,  p.  43),  and  that  he  had  made 
it  an  appendage  of  all  the  commandments  for  the  purpose  of 
"joining  them  into  a  wreath,  the  last  to  the  first".  The  threat 
with  its  power  of  arousing  fear  and  the  promise  with  its  power 
of  arousing  love  are  to  him  the  "cord  with  which  the  wreath 
is  tied  together"  (30,  1,  p.  85).  Quite  in  harmony  with  these 
statements  is  the  exposition  in  the  Large  Catechism,  where  the 
conclusion  receives  attention  both  in  connection  with  the  First 
Commandment  and  after  the  last  (30,  1,  p.  136  ff.,  179  ff.)".  That 
the  inference  must  not  be  drawn  from  this  that  the  "fear"  of 
the  First  and  the  succeeding  commandments  is  not  to  be  under- 
stood in  the  same  sense  as  in  the  conclusion,  has  already  been 
dwelt  upon  (p.  362;  compare  also  A.  Hardeland,  Der  Begriff 
der  Gottesfurcht  in  Luther's  Katechismus,  Guetersloh,  1914,  in 
contrast  to  J.  Meyer,  "Fuerchten,  lieben  und  vertrauen  in  Lu- 
ther's Kleinen  Katechismus",  in  "Neue  Kirchliche  Zeitschrift", 
1913,  p.  793  ff.).  In  regard  to  the  right  position  of  the  conclu- 
sion see  also  p.  108.  The  catechist  Who  favors  Luther's  arrange- 
ment of  appending  the  words  containing  the  threat  and  promise 
to  the  commandments  as  a  whole,  will  not  fail  to  let  his  treat- 
ment of  the  commandment  culminate  in  fear  and  love  as  the 
twofold  mighty  incentive  to  obedience.  To  raise  the  question 
at  this  point  in  regard  to  "the  use  of  the  Law",  after  having 
opened  by  his  entire  explanation  the  eyes  of  the  pupils  to  the  Law 
as  the  rule  of  life,  which  surely  is  a  use  of  the  Law,  is  to  such 
a  catechist  an  incomprehensible  proceeding,  to  which  nobody 
would  ever  have  resorted  but  for  the  misconception  that  dog- 
matical topics  are  in  place  in  catechetical  instruction.  Nor  will 
he  think  that  he  must  now  pause  to  show  the  children  their  sin 
in  the  light  of  the  Law,  true  as  it  is  that  the  Ten  Commandments 
can  serve  as  the  mirror  for  sin,  and  should  serve  for  it  at  the 
proper  time,  namely,  in  connection  writh  confession.  Still  less 
will  he  now  take  the  opportunity  to  convince  them  of  their  in- 
ability to  keep  the  commandments.  Nobody  would  have  been 
led  to  these  two  pedagogic  follies,  had  it  not  been  for  the  pur- 
pose of  thus  linking  the  two  Chief  Parts  together.  On  the  con- 
trary, just  as  it  was  the  catechist's  aim  to  show  his  pupils  in 
connection  with  each  commandment  how  the  child-like  fear  and 
love  of  God  as  their  God  and  father  should  impel  them  to  the 


382  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

fulfillment  of  the  divine  will,  even  so  he  reminds  them,  for  the 
same  reason,  of  the  wrath  and  jealousy  to  be  visited  by  God 
upon  the  transgressors  of  the  Law,  and  of  all  the  blessings  in 
which  the  obedient  may  rejoice,  in  order  to  help  them  by  all 
means  to  learn  obedience  to  the  divine  will.  A  treatment  of 
the  Law  which  conforms  to  Luther's  pattern,  dare  not  sound  as 
final  note  the  confession :  "I  am  a  sinner,  groaning  under  a 
curse",  nor  the  conviction :  "I  am  too  feeble  to  fulfill  the  com- 
mandments of  God".  Rather  should  it  lead  to  the  resolution : 
"As  the  child  of  my  heavenly  Father  I  mean  to  fulfill  the  will 
of  my  God  and  Father,  and  cheerfully  at  that"  (it  is  just  this 
voluntariness  and  cheerfulness  of  an  obedience  prompted  by  fear 
and  love  which  Luther  emphasized  again  and  again),  and  to 
the  prayer :  "Help  me,  my  God  and  Father,  better  and  more 
perfectly  to  fulfill  Thy  will". 

The  text  of  the  Bible  contrasts  those  that  love  God  with 
those  that  hate  Him.  It  speaks  of  hate  because,  according  to 
its  very  nature,  sin  is  rebellion  and  hate  against  God  (Rom. 
8,  7),  a  fact  quite  in  evidence  in  the  case  of  those  who  wil- 
fully and  defiantly  disregard  the  commandments.  "Unto  the 
third  and  fourth  generation  that  hate  Me"  and  "showing  mercy 
unto  thousands  of  them  that  love  Me"  are  phrases  bringing  out 
the  energy,  the  earnestness  and  holy  zeal  of  God,  both  when 
He  inflicts  penalties  and  when  He  scatters  blessings.  The 
thought  of  them  is  to  add  strength  to  the  child-like  fear  and 
love  in  our  hearts  toward  the  heavenly  Father  as  an  incentive 
to  obedience.  Both  the  penalty  to  be  apprehended  and  the  bles- 
sings to  be  expected  bear  primarily  upon  the  bodily  life,  thus 
pointing  the  principle  that  sin  is  followed  by  evil,  obedience  by 
blessing.  If,  in  connection  with  transgression,  every  kind  of 
misfortune,  failure,  trouble,  sickness,  etc.,  are  to  be  thought  of, 
bodily  blessings  are  to  be  had  in  mind  in  connection  with 
obedience,  in  that  God  preserves  the  health  and  strength  of  those 
who  obey  His  law;  spiritual  blessings,  in  that  God  reAvards  obe- 
dience with  peace  and  joy;  the  blessing  of  honor,  in  that  the 
name  of  one  who  obeys  has  a  good  sound  among  all  godly  men. 
But  because  these  results  are  not  the  instantaneous  fruit  of 
obedience,  Luther,  once  more,  rightly  lays  stress  upon  trust. 
If  God  permits  us  to  languish  in  misery  in  spite  of  our  obe- 
dience, it  behooves  us  to  trust  Him  for  finally  changing  suffer- 


The  Catechism  383 

ing  into  bliss,  even  though  we  should  have  to  wait  till  eter- 
nity's day.  The  words  employed  are  broad  enough  to  embrace 
this  last  thought.  Well  it  is  said  in  the  "Nuremberg  Sermons 
for  Children",  which  regularly  conclude  by  giving  the  gist  of 
the  commandment  under  consideration  by  appending  the  fol- 
lowing conclusion  to  everyone  of  the  sermons  for  children : 
"Thus,  my  dear  little  children,  you  have  the  correct,  simple, 
every-day  meaning  of  this  commandment.  You  should  lay  it 
diligently  to  heart  and  fear  God,  lest  you  transgress  this  com- 
mandment; for  what  He  commands  is  good  and  holy,  and  what 
He  forbids  is  wrong,  sinful,  and  shameful.  It  is  the  deter- 
mined will  of  God  that  we  should  keep  His  commandments  and 
not  despise  them;  for  He  says:  M,  the  Lord  thy  God,  am  a 
jealous  God'.  .  .  Therefore,  my  dear  little  children,  you  should 
fear  God  and  diligently  keep  His  commandments,  imploring  His 
grace  and  help,  so  that  you  may  be  enabled  to  do  this.  For 
the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  all  wisdom,  which 
makes  pious  and  good  people,  who  are  pleasing  to  God  and  of 
service  to  other  people.  The  outcome  of  this  is  peace  and  quiet, 
honor,  prosperity,  and  happy  days.  If  we  thus  continue  in  obe- 
dience to  God  and  in  the  right  faitli  to  the  end,  God  will  add 
as  last  gift  eternal  life.  This  God  grant  unto  us  all!  Amen". 
This  is  the  final  note  to  be  sounded  in  an  exposition  of  the 
commandments.  Should  anyone  be  of  opinion  that  we  should 
thus  turn  into  the  Roman  channel,  he  merely  reveals  his  failure 
to  understand  either  the  Scriptures  or  Luther.  Quite  opposite 
is  the  remark  of  Albrecht  (vol.  30,  1.  p.  362)  :  "No  pleading  of 
merit  is  to  be  thought  of,  since  trust  clings  to  a  promise  which 
bespeaks  not  a  reward  but  'grace'".  The  believer,  justified  by 
faith,  who,  if  all  is  well  with  him,  endeavors  to  fulfill  the  will 
of  God  by  a  prompting  from  within,  finds  an  additional  motive 
and  incentive  in  the  "grace  and  every  blessing"  promised  by 
God  upon  the  sole  condition  that  we  obey. 

The  catechist  will  so  much  better  succeed  in  impressing 
upon  the  heart  of  his  pupil  the  thought-  that  the  regulations  in 
the  Father's  house,  as  found  in  the  First  Chief  Part,  are  to  be 
faithfully  and  scrupulously  kept,  if  he  sums  up  each  command- 
ment by  not  only  presenting  such  human  types  of  obedience  as 
are  germane  to  His  purpose,  but  also  by  reaching  into  the  life 
of  Jesus,  which  shows  every  requirement  of  the  Law  in  the  phase 


384  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

of  perfect  fulfillment.  The  fulfillment  of  this  or  that  require- 
ment is  typified  by  one  person  of  sacred  history  or  another : 
of  the  fulfillment  of  every  requirement  we  have  Jesus  as  allur- 
ing type :  all  rays  of  obedience  meet  in  Him;  not  one  feature 
is  lacking.  Such  treatment  as  this  will  arouse  in  the  catechu- 
men the  conviction  that  the  object  to  be  realized  is  to  follow 
Christ;  that  it  is  His  image  which  is  to  shine  forth  from  our 
life.  Thus  the  New  Testament  character  of  the  First  Chief 
Part  stands  duly  revealed.  Leopold  Schultze  has  laid  great 
stress  upon  this  thought  in  his  "Katechetische  Bausteine"  (fifth 
edition,  Magdeburg,  1891)  ;  in  our  own  Explanation  of  the  Cate- 
chism it  has  been  carried  out  consistently. 

The  needlessness  of  a  transition  to  the  Second  Chief  Part, 
and  Luther's   attitude  in  the  matter,  has   been  discussed  above 
(pages  121  f.  352).     Here  we  need  only  add  what  Albrecht  says 
on  the  subject   (30,   1,  p.  362)  :     "In  the   Small   Catechism  the 
Second  Chief  Part  is  linked  to  the  First  without  any  connecting 
thought.     This   is  the  case  also  in  the  third  series  of  cateche- 
tical sermons  of  1528,  where  we  read  in  the  sermon  of  Decem- 
ber  tenth :     'You   have   heard   the   first   part   of   Christian   doc- 
trine, namely,  the  Ten  Commandments.     I  have  admonished  you 
diligently  that  you  should  exhort  the  family  to  learn  that  part 
literally   by   heart,    so    that    they   might   obey    God   accordingly, 
and  you  as  their   masters,  and  yourselves  likewise  might  obey 
God.     For  if  you  will  instruct  and  push  the  family,  there  will 
be    progress ;    and    there    has    never    been    a    doctor    who    has 
failed  to  become  more  learned  by  study.     These  Ten  Command- 
ments having  been  dealt  with,  we  will  now  proceed  to  the  next 
part'    (30,    1,    p.    86).     At   other   places    connection    is    made   by 
hearking  back  to  the  First  Commandment  (30,  1,  p.  9,  10,  183), 
or    by    reviewing    the    connection    given    in    the    Short    Form 
(above,    p.    122)  :    those    incapable    of    fulfilling    the    command- 
ments   [for  the  disease  of  sin,  as  is   still  maintained  by  many, 
does   not   here   come   into   consideration   as   guilt  but  rather  as 
moral    impotence]    will    receive    help    and    strength    from    God 
through  faith  (30,  1,  p.  43  f.;  vol.  11,  p.  48).  This  thought,  though 
expressed   less   forcibly,   returns   also   in  the  Large   Catechism" 
(30,    1,   p.    184).     One   who   explains   the   introduction,   the   First 
Chief  Part,  and  the  conclusion  according  to  Luther's  plan,  and 
has  learned  meanwhile  that  the  First  Chief  Part  presents  all  of 


The  Catechism  385 

Christianity,  insofar  as  it  is  a  divine  requirement  for  the  baptized 
Christian,  will  not  only  absolutely  feel  no  need  for  the  introduc- 
tion of  transition  material  but  will  find  it  absolutely  uncalled  for. 
In  the  First  Article  Luther  places  all  possible  emphasis 
upon  the  word  Creator  or  "Maker".  Not  only  does  he  give  this 
article  the  heading  "of  creation",  but,  in  the  edition  of  1531, 
revised  and  corrected  by  him  (above,  p.  101),  he  capitalizes  the 
word  Maker  throughout  (just  as  the  word  "Lord"  in  the  Second 
Article),  making  it  the  key  word  in  his  explanation.  Previously 
his  mode  of  operation  had  been  different.  In  the  Short  Form 
he  did  not  emphasize  the  objects  of  faith,  but  the  verb — the 
concept  of  faith,  although  mention  is  made  of  the  former 
(above,  p.  89).  In  the  sermons  of  1523  he  lays  more  stress  upon 
the  objects  of  faith,  God  as  "the  almighty  Father"  appearing  to 
him  the  most  important  thought  (vol.  11,  p.  49)  ;  similarly  in  the 
brief  notes  of  the  first  and  the  second  series  of  sermons  of  1528. 
In  the  third  series,  however,  Luther  confines  himself  alto- 
gether to  the  word  "Maker" :  "Children  and  the  uncultured 
folk  are  to  learn  the  matter  most  carefully  in  this  way.  There 
are  three  articles  in  the  faith,  1.  of  the  Father,  2.  of  the  Son, 
3.  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  What  is  your  view  of  the  Father?  Ans- 
wer: He  is  the  creator.  What  of  the  Son?  He  is  the  Re- 
deemer. What  of  the  Holy  Spirit?  He  is  the  sanctifier.  For 
the  benefit  of  the  learned  the  article  might  be  divided  into  as 
many  parts  as  there  are  words ;  but  the  First  Article  teaches 
the  young  and  those  of  little  culture  that  God  the  Father  is  the 
creator  of  heaven  and  earth.  Well,  what  then?  What  is  the 
meaning  of  that?  Just  this,  that  I  am  to  believe  that  I  am 
God's  creature;  that  He  has  given  me  body,  soul,  sound  eyes, 
reason,  property,  wife,  children,  fields,  meadows,  hogs  and 
cattle.  Then,  that  He  has  given  the  four  elements,  etc.  This 
article,  accordingly,  teaches  that  you  do  not  have  your  life  of 
yourself,  least  of  all  as  a  spoil.  All  things  in  existence  are 
comprehended  in  the  little  word  "creator"  (30,  1,  p.  87).  Such 
is  the  tenor  in  both  the  Large  and  the  Small  Catechisms,  al- 
though here,  in  the  phrase  "fatherly  goodness  and  mercy",  the 
word  "almighty  Father"  comes  into  its  own.  Whether  also  in 
the  enumeration  of  "clothing  and  shoes"  to  the  phrase  "guards 
and  keeps  me"  the  thought  of  the  "almighty  Father"  has 
served  as  basis,   is   doubtful. — That  Luther  conceived  the  word 


386  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

"almighty"  as  an  adjective,  connecting  it  with  "father",  not  with 
"creator",  which  would  be  a  tautology,  hardly  requires  any 
proof.  In  the  edition  of  1531,  carefully  revised  by  him,  he  puts 
a  comma  after  "almighty" ;  also  in  the  first  edition  of  the 
Large  Catechism  (30,  1,  p.  130) ;  then,  after  repeatedly  omitting 
all  punctuation,  again  from  the  third  edition  in  the  reprint  of 
1540  on,  and  with  unmistakable  clearness  in  that  part  of  the  ex- 
position where  we  read:  "But  the  further  explanations  belong 
in  the  other  two  parts  of  this  article,  where  we  say  'Father  al- 
mighty'"  (30,  1,  p.  184;  Jacobs,  p.  440,  17.  18).  Capito  (1528), 
and  Brenz  (1529),  write  without  hesitation  "almighty  Father". 
See  M.  Reu,  Die  Konstruktion  des  ersten  Artikels;  Kirchliche 
Zeitschrift,  1904;  Cohrs,  Katechismusversuchc  vor  Luther's  En- 
chiridion; IV,  p.  295  f.  That  the  right  connection  was  retained 
for  a  long  time  after  Luther,  can  be  abundantly  demonstrated 
from  our  sourcebook  "Quellen  zur  Geschichte  des  kirchlichen 
Unterrichts" ;  why  Luther  did  not  simply  transpose  the  "father 
almighty"  into  "almighty  father"  with  Capito  and  Brenz,  we 
have  seen(  p.  107). 

The  question  as  to  the  relation  between  "father"  and  "al- 
mighty" suggests  the  other  question  whether  God  comes  into 
consideration  here  primarily  as  the  "Father  of  Jesus  Christ" 
or  as  "our  Father",  although  the  consideration  of  this  relation 
does  not  suffice  to  give  a  definite  answer.  That  the  former  inter- 
pretation is  connoted  by  this  phrase,  appears  from  the  fact  that 
the  Creed  originated  in  the  baptismal  confession.  It  is,  more- 
over, required  by  the  whole  New  Testament,  according  to  which 
God  is  our  Father  only  in  Jesus  Christ  His  incarnate  Son,  of 
the  same  essence  with  Himself.  But  that,  according  to  cateche- 
tical tradition,  it  deserves  main  emphasis  in  this  connection; 
or  that  it  is  the  sole  fact  to  be  considered,  is  a  view  altogether 
erroneous  and  absolutely  incapable  of  corroboration  from  Lu- 
ther. The  latter  writes  in  the  Short  Form:  "Because  He  is 
God,  He  may  do  with  me  what  He  knows  to  be  best.  Because 
He  is  Father.  He  will  do  it.  and  do  it  gladly.  Because  I  do  not 
doubt  this,  but  have  this  confidence  in  Him,  I  am  surely  His 
child,  servant,  and  heir  eternally;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  as  I 
believe".  In  the  second  series  of  his  catechetical  sermons  of 
1528  we  read :  "He  has  poured  out  His  fatherhood  into  all 
creatures   created  bv  Him".     In  the  Large  Catechism  the  same 


The  Catechism  387 

thought  occurs  in  this  form:  "And  all  this  from  sheer  love 
and  kindness,  altogether  unmerited  by  us,  as  a  kind  Father, 
who  will  take  care  lest  any  harm  occur  to  us".  It  is  found 
once  more  in  the  hymn  of  faith  :  "We  all  in  one  true  God  be- 
lieve :  Maker  of  all  earth  and  heaven;  Who  did  Himself  as 
Father  give,  That  sonship  might  to  us  be  given"  (Wir  glau- 
ben all  an  einen  Gott,  Schoepfer  Himmels  und  der  Erden,  der 
sich  zum  Vater  geben  hat,  dass  wir  seine  Kinder  werden).  In 
his  "Hauspredigt  von  den  Artikeln  des  Glaubens,  in  Schmal- 
kalden  gehalten"  (1537),  he  has  it:  "Moreover,  He  not  only 
teaches  us  who  and  whence  we  are,  but  also  where  we  belong. 
This  is  indicated  by  the  word  "Father",  which  means  that  God 
lays  claim  to  fatherhood  as  well  as  omnipotence.  The  animals 
cannot  call  Him  Father;  but  we  can  call  Him  such  and  be  called 
His  children.  With  that  word  He  expresses  His  purpose  in 
regard  to  us.  Previously  we  had  learned  whence  we  are  and 
what  honor  and  glory  are  ours  ;  now  the  question  arises  as  to 
our  place.  It  is  this,  that  you  shall  be  children,  and  I  Father. 
I  have  not  only  created  you  and  seen  to  your  preservation :  I 
want  you  for  my  children  and  appoint  you  as  my  heirs,  so  that 
you  shall  not  be  thrust  out  of  the  house  like  other  creatures — 
oxen,  cattle,  sheep,  etc.,  which,  without  exception,  either  die  or 
are  devoured;  but,  in  addition  to  being  My  creatures,  you  shall 
lie  also  My  children  for  eternity.  This  is  our  prayer  and  con- 
fession when,  in  faith,  we  speak  :  "I  believe  in  God  the  Father" 
(vol.  45,  p.  16).  This  was  the  interpretation  of  the  word  "Fa- 
ther" before  the  appearance  of  the  Small  Catechism,  by  Brenz, 
Althamer,  Lachmann,  and  others.  Such  was  its  interpretation 
also  after  its  appearance,  for  instance,  by  Matth.  Zell,  1536: 
"What  does  he  mean  when  he  says:  'Father'?  This  is  the 
most  comforting  thought  that  we  may  entertain  concerning 
God.  Why  so?  In  this  one  word  the  truth  is  expressed,  that 
the  august  divine  Majesty  heartily  loves  us  poor  worms  as  a 
Father,  and  not  as  a  stepfather;  that  He  desires  us  for  chil- 
dren and  for  heirs  of  an  eternal  blessed  life — a  thought  than 
which  there  is  no  higher  and  surer  comfort  in  the  extremity 
of  death  and  in  any  other  ills  for  anyone  who,  in  true  faith, 
speaks  and  confesses  that  word"  "What  is  it  that  we  mean 
when  we  confess  that  God  is  almighty?  First  of  all,  the  man 
that  really  lays  hold  of  that  truth  finds  it  a  comfort  exceedingly 


388  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

great.  How  is  that?  Not  until  we  realize  that  He  is  almighty, 
have  we  the  sure  comfort  that  He  cannot  be  prevented  from  do- 
ing as  He  pleases,  unlike  human  parents,  who  are  often  pre- 
vented from  carrying  out  their  will.  But  God,  being  almighty, 
can  be  prevented  by  no  one :  no  matter  when  His  help  is  re- 
quired or  by  whom  it  is  required,  no  one  shall  be  too  strong  and 
powerful  to  be  in  His  way"  (Reu,  I,  1,  p.  109).  The  "Nurem- 
berg Sermons  for  Children"  are  less  clear  on  the  subject;  but 
they  give  a  splendid  explanation  of  the  term  "almighty"  :  "No- 
body is  so  sick  but  He  can  heal  him;  nobody  so  poor  but  He 
can  make  him  rich;  nobody  so  despised  but  He  is  able  to  bring 
him  to  honor;  nobody  so  great  a  sinner  but  He  is  able  to  make 
him  godly;  nobody  so  bereft  of  faith  but  He  is  able  to  make 
him  a  believer;  nothing  so  incredible  but  He  can  perform  it 
if  He  will"  (Reu.  I,  1,  p.  69).  More  explicit  is  Butzer  (1537: 
"I  believe  that  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and 
the  first  person  of  the  Godhead,  desires  to  be  my  father  also. 
How  is  He  your  father?  In  that  He  imparts  to  me  His  nature 
and  heritage.  What  is  God's  nature?  All  righteousness,  god- 
liness, and  love.  What  is  His  heritage?  Eternal,  blessed  life 
(Reu,  I,  1,  p.  69).  Huber  (1544)  :  "Therefore  I  believe  and  con- 
fess that  Almighty  God,  the  only,  eternal  God,  is  the  almighty 
father  of  myself  and  all  the  faithful"  (Reu,  I,  1,  p.  792).  Meek- 
hart  (1553)  :  "Why  do  you  call  God  your  Father?  Because  He. 
through  grace,  has  elected  me  as  His  child  and  promised  me 
fatherly  faithfulness  and  every  blessing,  also,  because  He  has 
made  me  an  heir  of  all  His  possessions"  (Reu,  I,  1,  p.  824). 
But  even  though  the  word  be  taken  in  the  trinitarian  sense,  the 
other  truth  is  not  overlooked.  A  case  in  point  we  find  in 
Kantz  (1542)  :  "Why  do  you  call  God  father?  Because  He  has 
a  son  of  the  same  essence  as  His  own,  born  from  eternity,  who 
is  God  equal  with  the  father.  .  .  And  through  the  same  be- 
loved son  He  has  elected  as  children  all  those  who  believe  in 
Him,  so  that  they  may  inherit  His  kingdom  with  Him;  John  1. 
12;  Rom.  8,  17.  Such  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  'father',  which 
is  an  exceedingly  gracious,  comforting  word,  assuring  us  that 
God  is  our  faithful  father,  and  will  be  such  forever;  Is.  49,  15" 
(Reu,  I,  1,  p.  608).  Or  Tetelbach  (1568)  :  "Why  do  you  call 
Him  father?  He  is  such;  for  He  has  brought  forth  from  His 
divine    nature    and    essence     a     son — our    Lord     lesus     Christ, 


The  Catechism  389 

through  whom  He  has  also  become  my  dear  father  and  the 
father  of  all  believers  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ:  and  He  is 
willing  to  deal  with  us  as  does  a  father  with  his  children" 
(Reu,  I,  1,  p.  658). 

Understanding  the  First  Article  thus  we  can  compre- 
hend why  Luther,  in  1523,  could  assign  first  rank  to  the  First 
Article  :  "Hie  primus  articulus,  quod  credo  Deum  esse  patrem 
meum,  qui  articulus  summus  est.  .  .  Quicquid  est  in  tota  Scrip- 
tum, hue  referri  potest.  Si  deus  pater  meus  est,  liber  sum  ab 
omnibus,  inferis,  morte,  mundo  etc."  (vol.  11,  p.  50,  51)  ;  and  in 
that  very  connection  he  makes  the  words  "almighty  father" 
the  nucleus  of  his  whole  explanation.  That  the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  and  the  atonement  conditioned  by  them,  are 
not,  therefore,  to  be  thrust  aside,  is  quite  plain;  only  if  the  con- 
nection with  the  latter  is  maintained,  can  we  accept  what  Har- 
nack  says  in  his  "History  of  Dogma"  (III,  p.  711,  note  3)  : 
"The  First  Article  is  for  Luther  an  epitome  of  all  Chritianity". 
From  this  standpoint  another  matter  becomes  clear,  namely, 
that  it  is  a  thorough  misunderstanding  of  the  First  Article  when 
the  view  is  still  entertained  that  it  is  nothing  else  but  general 
faith  in  providence,  made  so  much  of  in  the  era  of  rationalism, 
which  is  here  confessed — a  faith  representing  a  lower,  merely 
preparatory  stage,  upon  which  the  rationalist  might  possibly 
meet  the  Lutheran  Christian.  Nothing  could  be  more  er- 
roneous. That  a  faith  in  providence  is  here  spoken  of,  is  true; 
but  it  is  the  faith  in  providence  as  entertained  by  the  Chris- 
tian— a  faith  based  upon  his  faith  in  redemption,  and,  far  from 
being  inferior,  therefore,  is  nothing  less  than  an  expression  of 
it.  It  is  God  the  almighty  father  and  creator  of  whom  I  am 
here  speaking,  who  has  become  my  father  through  no  one 
save  Christ,  and  only  through  His  redemption.  Likewise,  it  is 
the  baptized  Christian  that  here  confesses  his  faith,  already 
a  child  of  God  through  baptism,  and  now  looking  up  to  Him  as 
father  and  finding  comfort  in  His  care  and  protection.  Instead 
of  being  something  infra-Christian,  the  assurance  of  faith  here 
manifest  is  specifically  Christian,  and  radically  different  in 
principle  from  the  natural  man's  faith  in  providence.  It  finds 
its  true  parallel  in  that  stanza  of  Paul  Gerhardt's  hymn  :  "With 
gladness  I  confess  it,  What  long  my  heart  has  known :  That  God, 
most  high  and  blessed,  To  me  His  grace  has  shown;  And  that. 


390  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

whate'er  betide  me,  He  by  my  side  shall  stand,  Through  storm 
and  wave  to  guide  me.  And  every  ill  at  hand".  Only  thus  can 
we  justify  the  plerophoria  found  in  the  words:  "richly  and 
daily  provides  me  with  all  that  I  need  for  this  body  and  life; 
that  He  defends  me  from  all  danger.  .  ."  The  more  the  unique- 
ness of  the  Catechism  is  permitted  to  work  its  way  also  here, 
the  more  clearly  the  Gospel  will  stand  disclosed. 

In  regard  to  the  explanation  of  the  First  Article,  a  difficulty 
arises  from  a  mooted  point  of  construction.  So  much  is  clear 
that  Luther's  explanation  is  readily  divided  into  three  parts, — 
the  answers  to  as  many  questions  :  1.  What  has  God  my  Maker 
done  for  me  and  what  is  He  still  doing;  2.  Why  has  God  done 
tliis  and  why  does  He  do  it  still;  3.  What  do  I  owe  Him  there- 
for? But  how  to  construe,  in  the  first  part,  the  words:  "dazu 
Kleider  und  Schuh — reichlich  und  taeglich  versorgt"  is  the  ques- 
tion. A  frequent  construction  is  to  subordinate  the  whole  sec- 
tion "dazu  Kleider  und  Schuh — behuetet  und  bewahrt"  to  the 
words  "und  noch  crhaelt",  "and  still  preserves".  Divine  pre- 
servation takes  place  by  God  supplying  everything  needed  by 
me  for  the  preservation  of  life  and  by  safeguarding  me  against 
everything  that  might  cause  me  an  injury.  Such(  as  it  seems, 
was  the  construction  preferred  by  H.  Opitz  already  (1583),  who, 
to  the  question  :  "Whereby  does  God  preserve  our  human  body 
and  life"?  makes  answer:  "By  clothing,  shoes,  .  .  .  cattle  and 
other  goods,  together  with  all  that  is  needed  to  support  this  body 
and  life"  (Reu,  I,  1,  p.  532).  With  him  agrees  H.  Magdeburg, 
so  far  as  his  Greek  translation  is  concerned  (the  Latin  one  is 
different ;  see  below)  :  kcli  vvv  en  r^pei,  iwiueXovfxevös  fiov  rüv 
eodr)Twv,  tup  VTroo7]/J.a.Tcoi>  .  .  oIkicls,  Trpos  <5e  tovtois  rrjs  yvvaiubs  .  . 
7rp6poiai>  exwvi  ö'7ra,s  av  ravra  iKavüs  icad'  7]/j.ipav  eicaaTTjv  viräp^T). 
The  result  of  this  construction  was  that  the  word  "also"  (dazu) 
was  no  longer  taken  in  the  sense  of  "further",  but  connected 
with  the  preceding  "still  preserves  to  me",  and  thus  under- 
stood to  mean  "for  this  purpose",  namely,  for  the  purpose  of 
preservation.  After  the  words  "and  all  my  goods"  a  semicolon 
was  placed,  the  missing  verb  being  supplied  from  what  pre- 
ceded, i.  e.,  "gives".  That  this  cannot  be  the  meaning  of  "dazu", 
becomes  clear  from  the  Large  Catechism  and  the  Latin  trans- 
lations, according  to  which  "dazu"  is  equivalent  to  "further". 
This  is  the  very  circumstance  that  occasions  the  question  as  to 


The  Catechism  391 

the  predicate  of  this  part  of  the  explanation,  whether  it  be 
found  in  a  preceding  verb  or  in  one  that  follows,  that  is,  in 
"gegeben  hat  und  noch   erhaelt",   or,   perhaps,   in   "versorgt". 

The  last-named  construction  enjoyed  great  vogue  during 
the  sixteenth  century.  We  find  it  in  the  First  Latin  translation  : 
"Credo,  quod  Deus  me  una  cum  omnibus  aliis  creaturis  crea- 
verit,  quod  mihi  corpus  et  animam,  hos  oculos,  aures,  omnia 
alia  membra,  quod  rationem  et  illos  sensus  donaverit.  Neque 
id  solum,  sed  credo  quoque,  quod  omnia  ilia  alias  peritura 
sustentet,  quod  vestes,  calceos,  cibum  et  potum,  certas  sedes, 
uxorem,  liberos,  agros,  jumenta  et  quicquid  honorum  est,  abunde 
ad  sustentandam  hanc  vitam  indies  praebeat.  Credo  etc.". 
Likewise  in  the  second  Latin  translation  :  "Credo,  quod  Deus 
creavit  me  una  cum  omnibus  creaturis :  Quod  corpus  et  ani- 
mam, oculos,  aures,  et  omnia  membra,  rationem  et  omnes  sensus 
mihi  dedit  et  adhuc  sustentat.  Ad  haec  quod  vestes  et  calceos, 
cibum  ac  potum,  domum,  uxorem,  liberos,  agros,  jumenta  cum 
omnibus  vitae  necessariis  copiose  et  quotidie  largitur :  Me 
contra  omnia  pericula  protegit  etc.".  The  same  principle  of 
construction  governs  the  third  Latin  translation :  "Credo,  quod 
Deus  Pater  me  creavit  .  .  .  omnesque  sensus  dedit  et  conservat. 
Victum,  vestitum,  cibum,  potum,  domum,  fundos,  uxorem,  li- 
beros, jumenta  et  omnia  bona,  omnia  necessaria  ad  vitam  quo- 
tidie suppeditat,  quod  contra  omnia  pericula  nos  defendit,  etc.". 
Nor  does  the  fourth  Latin  translation,  by  Hiob  Magdeburg, 
show  a  different  construction  :  "Credo,  me  cum  tota  rerum  uni- 
versitate  a  Deo  creatum  esse,  qui  corpus  mihi  et  animam  .  .  . 
sensusque  omnes  et  largitus  est  et  conservat.  Vestibus  mihi 
insuper  et  calciamentis,  cibo  et  potu,  aedibus,  uxore  et  liberis, 
agris,  pecoribus  et  ceteris  bonis  ad  conservandam  vitam  neces- 
sariis abunde  quotidie  prospicit".  The  Greek  rendering  in  the 
"Catechesis  Graeco-latina"  has  it :  "en  on  evdvfxara  ko.1  to. 
(ppdy/xara  .  .  .  /cat  iravra  ra  äWa  vTrdpxovra  .  .  .  dldcoat.  '  Ac- 
cordingly, the  words  "dazu  Kleider  und  Schuh  .  .  .  versorgt" 
Mve  been  accepted  as  a  coherent  statement,  and  the  word 
"versorgt"  has  been  taken  in  the  sense  of  "besorgt",  "schafft 
herbei",  with  the  accusatives  "Kleider  und  Schuh,  etc."  as  its 
objects.  "Mit  aller  Leibesnahrung  und  Notdurft"  would,  ac- 
cordingly, be  detached  from  "versorgt"  and  become :  "and,  in 
additional,   all   that  I   need   for  this   body   and  life".     Joachim 


392  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

Moerlin  (1547  or  1554)  does  not  hesitate  to  paraphrase:  "That 
God  the  Father  daily  and  richly  gives  (reichet)  me  these 
(namely,  body  and  life)  and  all  things  necessary  to  this  life 
and  temporal  food".  The  same  construction  is  found  again, 
e.  g.,  in  Marbach,  1557;  in  Aquila,  1538;  in  Bischof,  1599;  in 
Hercko,  1554;  in  Siber,  1575;  in  Dresser,  1581;  in  Hadamarius, 
1552;  in  Maurer,  1575;  in  Joseph  Opitz,  1583.  The  usage  of 
"versorgt"  as  equivalent  to  "besorgt",  was  evidently  not  un- 
known to  any  of  these ;  and  because  examples  of  it  are  found 
also  in  Luther  (in  a  letter  to  Hans  Schotten,  May,  1524  (Erl. 
ed.  53,  p.  243),  we  find  these  attributes  ascribed  to  a  father: 
"er  ist  schuldig,  dem  Kind  Essen  und  Trinken,  Kleider  .  .  zu 
versorgen,  fuer  des  Kindes  Not  und  zu  seinem  Besten"),  it  might 
appear  that  this  construction  is  the  right  one.  It  would,  in 
that  case,  have  the  additional  advantage  of  giving  in  the  words  : 
"I  believe  that  God  has  made  me  .  .  .  and  still  preserves  to  me" 
a  definition  of  the  word  "Maker",  and  in  the  words  "also  .  .  . 
guards  and  keeps  me  from  all  evil"  an  exposition  of  "Father  al- 
mighty". What  an  earthly  father  does  for  his  children,  Luther 
would  raise  to  highest  potency  and  apply  to  the  almighty 
Father. 

Notwithstanding,  this  is  hardly  the  correct  construction. 
Even  if  the  Small  Catechism  alone  be  taken  into  consideration, 
it  is  distinctly  suspicious  that,  according  to  this  construction, 
the  daily  and  rich  providing  would  have  to  include  as  objects 
also  "wife  and  child".  In  the  next  place,  it  is  incongruous  after 
"all  goods" — an  expression  indicating  that  the  enumeration  is 
finished — to  continue  immediately  with  the  words  "and  in  ad- 
dition, all  that  I  need  for  this  body  and  life".  The  mere  rhythm, 
which  plays  no  unimportant  role  in  Luther's  explanations,  re- 
quires an  hiatus  after  "goods".  Especially  it  is  Luther's  pre- 
liminary notes  that  refuse  to  harmonize  with  this  view.  In 
the  sermon  of  December  tenth,  1528,  we  read :  "The  meaning 
is  that  I  should  believe  myself  to  be  a  creature  of  God;  that  He 
has  given  me  body,  soul,  sound  eyes,  reason,  goods,  wife,  chil- 
dren, fields,  meadows,  hogs,  and  cattle.  Further,  that  He  has 
given  the  four  elements.  This  article,  therefore,  teaches  that 
you  do  not  have  life  of  yourself,  least  of  all  as  a  spoil.  All 
things  in  existence  are  summarized  by  the  little  word  "cre- 
ator" (30,  1,  p.  87).    In  the  Large  Catechism  we  read:     "What 


The  Catechism  393 

is  it  that  is  taught,  or  what  do  you  mean  by  the  words :  'I 
believe  in  God  the  Father  almighty,  Maker  etc.'  ?  Answer : 
'I  mean  and  believe  that  I  am  a  creature  ot  God.  which  signi- 
fies that  He  has  given  me,  and  incessantly  preserves,  body,  soul, 
and  life,  members  large  and  small,  all  my  senses,  reason  and 
understanding,  and  so  on,  meat  and  drink,  clothing,  food,  wife 
and  child,  servants,  house  and  home,  etc.  In  addition,  to  relieve 
the  necessities  of  my  life,  He  makes  all  creatures  serve  me,  such 
as  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars  of  heaven,  etc.'"  (30,  1,  p. 
183).  These  two  quotations  warrant  the  following  inevitable 
deductions  :  1.  That  the  section  "dazu  Kleider  und  Schuh— alle 
Gueter"  belongs  to  "gegeben  hat  und  noch  erhaelt"  and  that 
the  objects  here  enumerated,  though  following  the  verb,  are  to 
be  thought  of  as  co-ordinate  with  the  first  named  objects 
(body,  soul,  etc.).  2.  That  there  is  by  no  means  to  be  supplied, 
as,  for  instance,  Luehrs  and  Zezschwitz  require,  a  "mich" 
in  connection  with  "erhaelt",  which  would  produce  the  following 
text :  "that  He  has  given  me  my  body  and  soul,  eyes,  ears,  and 
all  my  members,  my  reason,  and  all  my  senses,  and  still  pre- 
serves me";  but  that  the  "me"  following  after  "given"  in  the 
indirect  object  not  of  "given"  alone  but  of  "preserves"  as  well- 
thus  :  "that  He  has  given  and  still  preserves  to  me  my  body  and 
soul  etc.".  This  then,  is  the  thought  expressed:  I  believe  that 
God  has  given  and  still  preserves  to  me  body  and  soul,  eyes, 
ears,— all  senses;  further,  clothing,  shoes,  meat,  drink,  . 
and  all  goods;  and  that  He  also  preserves  to  me  all  these  ob- 
jects. In  preserving  them,  He,  indeed,  preserves  also  me;  but 
the  substitution  of  "me"  as  direct  object  of  "preserves"  in  the 
English  rendering  (conformable  to  the  supplying  of  "mich"  as 
object  of  "erhaelt"  instead  of  making  "Leib  und  Seele,  Augen, 
Ohren,  etc.  the  objects  of  both  verbs)  would  be  tantamount  to 
destroying  the  whole  sentence  structure  that  Luther  intended 
to  rear.  3.  That  the  words  "mit  aller  Leibesnahrung  und  Not- 
durft .  .  .  versorget"  constitute  a  new,  complete  thought,  in  the 
wording  of  which  the  terms  "versorgt"  and  "mit"  are  to  be 
taken  in  the  usual  sense,  instead  of  being  exchanged  for  "nebst" 
(=  in  addition)  and  "besorget"  (=  procures).  This  is  quite  in 
harmony  with  the  usage  of  Luther,  which  obtains  also  in  the 
Large  Catechism,  of  which  the  following  may  serve  as  an 
illustration :     "Da   sehen   wir,   wie   sich   der  Vater  uns  gegeben 


394  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

iiat  samt  allen  Kreaturen  und  aufs  allerreichlichste  in  diesem 
Leben  versorgt".  (Note  that  Luther  does  not  name  the  ob- 
ject in  the  second  clause,  making  the  indirect  object  of  the 
first  clause  serve  as  direct  object  of  the  second — a  procedure 
common  with  the  Reformer  and  also  found  in  the  passage  of 
his  Small  Catechism  now  under  consideration.)  4.  That  the 
conventional  interpretation  of  Notdurft  und  Nahrung  dieses 
Leibes  und  Lebens — "all  that  I  reed  for  this  body  and  life"— 
according  to  which  it  is  viewed  as  a  summary  of  the  blessings 
previously  enumerated  (even  Kaftan  yet,  who  otherwise  has 
never  failed  to  lay  about  him  against  the  construction  found  in 
the  Latin  translations),  is  an  error.  Luther,  far  from  virtually 
repeating  his  statement,  thinks  of  every  necessity  of  this  life 
not  previously  named,  as  air  and  light,  fire  and  water,  sun, 
moon,  and  stars,  etc.  Anyone,  upon  continued  search  in  the 
Large  Catechism,  will  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Luther  in- 
cludes in  this  phrase  everything  enumerated  by  him  in  his 
explanation  of  the  Fourth  Petition  alongside  of  "clothing,  shoes, 
.  .  all  goods".  That  thus,  especially  through  his  reference  to 
the  elements,  a  thought  of  interest  to  us  also  in  the  present 
has  been  introduced,  is  evident  to  everyone  who  knows  that, 
at  this  very  time,  nature  is  placed  as  something  independent 
alongside  of  God,  if  not  above  Him.  Compare  the 
lines  of  Paul  Gerhardt:  "Heaven,  earth,  and  all  their  host 
As  my  servants  He  has  given,  etc.".  When  we  remember  that 
Luther  had  previously  made  mention  of  the  "creatures",  and 
when  we  have  come  to  realize  that  the  words  "has  given  me 
body  and  soul"  down  to  "richly  and  daily  provides  me  with  all 
that  I  need  for  this  body  and  life",  is  nothing  but  an  unfolding 
of  the  preceding  main  clause :  "I  believe  that  God  has  made 
me  and  all  creatures",  there  will  be  less  desire  to  eliminate  his 
reference  to  air,  light,  etc.  From  the  words  quoted  and  the 
Large  Catechism  it  is  clear  that  the  giving,  preserving,  pro- 
viding, here  mentioned,  are  to  be  understood  as  an  intended  defi- 
nition by  Luther  of  divine  creation,  for  which  reason  it  is  al- 
together erroneous  to  place  in  juxtaposition  with 'creation  "pre- 
servation", which,  in  turn,  is  said  to  find  expression  in  "giving" 
(clothing,  shoes,  etc.),  providing  ,  and  protecting  (cf.  Opitz,  H. 
Magdeburg,  p.  221).  Even  greater  is  the  error  when  the  concept 
"government"   is  intercalated,   in  order  to  have  in  happy  union 


The  Catechism  395 

the  dogmatical  trio — creation,  preservation,  government. 
"Everything  is  comprehended  in  the  word  'creator'  (maker) ;  let 
us  take  our  stand  on  the  word  'creator'  ",  says  Luther.  In  the 
Small  Catechism  he  even  goes  beyond  his  preliminary  notes, 
in  that  he  so  extends  the  statement :  "I  believe  that  God  has 
made  me  etc.",  as  to  find  in  it  the  notion  of  protecting,  guarding, 
and  keeping.  This  has  been  recognized,  e.  g.,  in  the  Joachims- 
thal Catechism  (1574),  where  we  read:  "Creation  does  not 
merely  mean  that  God,  once  upon  a  time,  made  everything,  but 
that  He  is  present  with  His  creature  and  active  in  connection 
with  it,  as  the  words  of  the  explanation  (down  to  "guards  and 
protects  me")  and  of  the  hymn  (Luther's  hymn  of  faith)  clearly 
show"  (Reu,  I,  2,  p.  696).  Again,  all  this — giving,  providing, 
protecting,  etc.,  can,  according  to  the  Large  Catechism,  be  clas- 
sified under  a  double  head :  1.  God  has  given  us  everything 
we  have  and  see  before  us;  2.  He  also  prevents  everything  that 
might  injure  this. 

Both  the  catechetical  sermons  of  1528  and  the  Large  Cate- 
chism justify  the  inference  that  all  their  statements  are  designed 
to  lay  stress  upon  God's  doings,  and  not  upon  human  wisdom 
and  strength  (p.  191  :  "This  article",  we  there  read,  "teaches,  ac- 
cordingly, that  you  do  not  have  life  of  yourself,  least  of  all 
as  a  spirit.  .  .  Whatever  you  may  possess,  no  matter  how  little, 
remember  this  when  you  say:  'Maker'.  When  you  put  a  wreath 
on  your  head,  let  us  not  think  that  we  have  created  it  ourselves, 
as  do  the  proud  princes.  .  .  Nothing  of  all  this  I  have  of  myself. 
The  Maker,  that  is,  God,  has  given  everything.  .  .  If  all  things 
are  God's  gifts,  you  owe  it  to  Him  to  praise  and  thank  Him  for 
the  same.  .  .  How  many,  I  ask,  are  in  the  world  who  under- 
stand this  word  "creatorem"?  For  no  one  serves  Him. 
Accordingly  the  First  Article  may  well  humble  and  dismay  us, 
because  we  do  not  believe.  .  .  Llowever,  he  who  believes  this 
article,  when  he  inspects  his  cow,  will  say,  'The  Lord  has  given 
it  to  me'.  The  same  in  regard  to  his  wife,  his  children.  .  .  I 
have  nothing  of  myself  save  pride.  Therefore  I  cannot  either 
give  or  preserve"  (30,  1,  p.  87  f).  Compare  also  the  Nurem- 
berg Sermons  for  Children  (Reu,  I,  1,  1510).  This,  then,  is  the 
construction  cf  the  first  part  of  the  explanation  :  "I  believe  that 
it  is  God  who,  with  all  other  creatures,  has  created  also  me; 
that  is,  (1)  I  believe  that  all  I  am  and  have  comes  from  Him: 


396  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

a)  I  believe  that  it  is   God  who  has   given  me  body  and  soul ; 

b)  I  believe,  that  it  is  God  alone  who,  furthermore,  still  pre- 
serves to  me  my  body  and  soul,  eyes,  ears — senses ;  c)  I 
believe  that  everything  I  possess  in  addition  to  body 
and  soul  is  given  me  and  preserved  for  me  alone  by  Him; 
d)  I  believe,  that  it  is  God  alone  who,  furthermore,  provides 
me  with  all  I  need  for  this  body  and  life  (for,  as  the  Lord  of  the 
world,  He  gives  me  rain  and  sunshine  , light  and  air,  fire  and 
water;  yea,  heaven,  earth,  air  and  sea  have  been  placed  by 
Him  in  my  service) ;  (2)  I  believe  that  it  is  God  who  defends  me 
against  everything  that  might  injure  me  and  my  property: 
a)  I  believe  that  He  alone  defends  (me  and  my  property) 
against  all  danger,  b)  guards  (behuetet)  from  all  evil,  c)  keeps 
(bewahrt)  from  all  evil.  Should  the  argument  be  urged  against 
this  construction  that  the  "me"  in  "provides  me  with  all  that 
I  need  for  this  body  and  life"  is  an  intercalation  (mit  aller 
Notdurft  und  Nahrung  dieses  Leibes  und  Lebens  reichlich  und 
taeglich  versorget),  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  other  con- 
struction has  likewise  an  intercalation,  in  that  the  "me"  in 
"keeps  me  from  all  evil"  is  not  in  the  original  (wider  alle 
Faehrlichkeit  beschirmet) ;  and  that  Luther  has  by  no  means 
always  been  exact  in  the  use  of  the  personal  pronoun,  so  far 
as  the  Small  Catechism  is  concerned.  A  case  in  point  is  the 
second  half  of  the  explanation  of  the  Fifth  Commandment  or 
the  third  part  of  the  explanation  of  the  First  x\rticle.  It  is, 
accordingly,  quite  likely  that  Luther,  when  he  used  the  verbs 
"protect,  guard,  keep",  had  in  mind  as  object  not  only  "me"  but 
every  object  enumerated  in  the  preceding  explanation.  For  this 
reason  we  have  explained  in  the  epitome  above  given :  "Me 
and  my  property"  (see  Large  Catechism,  Jacobs,  Book  of  Con- 
cord, p.  440,  §  17).  Compare  Reu,  Konstruktion  des  ersten  Ar- 
tikels. Kirchl.  Zeitschrift,  1904,  pp.  83—89. 

It  remains  to  be  noted  how  Luther  makes  the  First  Article 
bear  directly  upon  the  religious  life  in  the  present.  He  attains 
his  end  principally  by  relating  God's  creative  activity  to  the 
individual  believer  (p.  114).  However,  he  also  serves  his  pur- 
pose when,  in  the  phrase  "provides  me  with  all  that  I  need 
for  this  body  and  life",  he  views  all  creatures  as  designed  for 
our  service;  and  the  plerophoria  "protects,  guards,  keeps",  is 
only  the  conviction  struggling  for  expression  that  God,  as  the 


The  Catechism  397 

maker  of  all  creatures,  is,  for  that  reason,  also  their  master : 
they  cannot  thwart  His  plans,  but  are  bound  to  be  His  instru- 
ments in  protecting,  guarding,  keeping  His  children.  Mag- 
nificent is  Luther's  presentation  of  the  subject  elsewhere  (Walch, 
VIII,  318)  :  "If  we  should  behold  the  downfall  and  collapse  of 
the  world  and  all  her  elements,  and,  ourselves  floundering  in  the 
wreck,  we  still  should  say:  'I  shall  not  fall;  but  if  I  fall,  it  is 
the  will  of  God'.  And  though  the  world  should  lie,  a  huge 
weight,  upon  our  every  head,  we  still  should  say :  'World,  thou 
canst  not  hurt  or  crush  me;  but  if  it  should  please  God  to  have 
me  felled  and  crushed  by  thy  weight,  let  there  be  done  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  whatever  pleases  Him :  my  time  is  in  His 
hands.  But  should  the  contrary  be  His  design,  I  will  defy  you, 
heaven  and  earth,  and  all  power  of  pope  and  Turk  and  the  whole 
world's  wrath  with  it"  (cf.  p.  000).  The  same  thought  he  ex- 
presses in  the  Short  Form  :  "If  He  be  almighty,  what  should 
I  lack  that  He  could  not  supply  by  His  gift  or  deed?  If  He  be 
creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  Lord  of  all  things,  who  shall 
rob  me  or  hure  me?"  (above,  p.  89).  Not  all  of  the  catechists 
of  the  sixteenth  century  have  been  unmindful  of  the  fact  here 
brought  out.  Compare  the  "Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Children" 
(Reu,  I,  1,  p.  405).  Meder,  on  the  basis  of  these  Sermons,  says: 
"If  God  has  made  heaven  and  earth,  He  is  also  Lord  of  them; 
and  everything  in  heaven  and  on  earth  must  move  according  to 
His  will ;  and  if  He  has  made  everything  for  His  sake,  every- 
thing is  bound  to  serve  us"  (Reu,  I,  1,  p.  495). 

For  lack  of  space,  the  remainder  has  to  be  compressed  into 
a  few  brief  notes.  In  the  text  of  the  Second  Article,  the  edition 
of  1531  emphasizes  the  word  "Lord"  as  the  one  most  important, 
by  capitalizing  it  throughout.  In  keeping  with  this  conception, 
clearly  expressed  in  a  sermon  of  December  tenth,  1528,  and  in 
the  Large-  Catechism,  where  that  sermon  it  literally  repeated, 
Luther  chooses  as  heading,  around  which  he  thereupon  groups 
the  whole  explanation  :  "I  believe  that  Jesus  is  my  Lord".  It  is 
to  be  regretted  that,  already  at  an  early  day,  this  simple  and 
lucid  construction  has  not  always  been  recognized  (for  instance, 
H.  Magdeburg :  "Credo  Jesum  Christum  verum  esse  Deum  et 
a  patre  ab  aeterno  esse  genitum :  verum  item  ex  Maria  virgine 
hominem  natum,  eundemque  dominum  me".  Still  worse,  W. 
Han's  product,  of  1553;  Reu,  I,  22,  p.  583;  I,  21,  p.  459);  later 


398  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

it  was  ignored  almost  universally  in  the  interest  of  dogmatics. 
If  there  is  any  point  in  regard  to  which  the  Large  Catechism, 
here  a  literal  reproduction  of  that  sermon  of  Dec.  10,  1528, 
can  serve  as  commentary  upon  the  Small  Catechism,  it  is  the 
one  under  consideration;  and  for  this  reason  everyone  should 
study  the  Large  Catechism  who  wants  to  make  himself  acquaint- 
ed with  Luther's  intentions  and  escape  the  danger  of  mixing- 
foreign  ingredients  with  his  Catechism.  "Redeemed,  purchased, 
and  won"  are  words  expressing  one  and  the  same  thought ;  but 
each  time  under  a  different  image.  The  first  of  these  words  re- 
minds one  of  the  great  ransom  paid  for  us;  the  second  of  the 
arduous  labor  necessary;  the  third  of  the  powerful  fight  waged. 
— The  section  stating  the  ultimate  purpose  of  redemption  (that 
I  may  be  His  own,  etc.),  treats  solely  of  God's,  or  Christ's, 
purpose,  and  should  not  be  deprived  of  its  objective  character. 
The  execution  of  this  purpose  in  detail  it  remains  for  the  Third 
Article  to  picture,  where  the  very  question  how  the  individual 
comes  to  Christ  and  into  His  kingdom,  in  order  to  experience 
the  purpose  of  Christ's  redemption,  is  answered.  Instead  of 
anticipating  the  Third  Article,  the  object  must  be  to  let  the 
pupil  visualize  the  blessedness  of  the  change  purposed  by 
Christ's  (Instead  of  the  devil's  property  now  Christ's;  instead  of 
a  lost  and  condemned  condition  now  a  state  of  righteousness,  in- 
nocence, and  blessedness).  This  blessedness  is  to  begin  here 
below  ("in  His  kingdom"  describes  the  life  of  the  faithful  in 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  as  it  is  here  below,  or  the  life  in  the 
Church;  30,  1,  p.  80  f. :  186);  it  includes,  however,  the  life  be- 
yond (cf.  "in  everlasting  righteousness  etc."  (30.  1,  p.  187),  a 
phrase  equivalent  to  "state  of  justification").  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  no  catechist  will  henceforth  dissect  this  magnificent  period 
and  endeavor  to  correlate  its  constituent  parts  with  this  or  that 
part  of  the  symbolic  text.  He  would  merely  deprive  "the  golden 
gem"  of  the  fairest  part  of  its  beauty  and  dim  its  power  (cf. 
p.  112—114). 

He  who  has  come  to  the  Third  Article  by  way  of  the  First 
and  Second,  will  expect  the  Reformer  to  select  some  one  word 
as  the  nucleus  for  the  whole  explanation.  The  heading,  "Of 
Sanctification",  will  serve  to  confirm  this  expectation.  Con- 
formably to  our  expectation,  Luther  begins  this  article  in  his 
Large    Catechism :      "I    can    discuss    this    article   best    from   the 


The  Catechism  399 

standpoint  of  sanctification,  a  word  pointing  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  picturing  His  office,  which  is  to  sanctify.  We  thus  take  our 
stand  on  the  word  'Holy  Spirit',  a  phrase  so  terse  that  there 
is  none  better".  What,  now,  is  the  relation  established  by  Lu- 
ther between  the  other  parts  of  this  article  and  the  main  one? 
The  Large  Catechism  does  not  leave  us  without  an  answer  to 
this  question.  We  read  presently :  "How  do  we  understand 
this  process  of  sanctification?  Answer:  'Just  as  the  Son  attains 
to  dominion  over  us  by  such  means  as  His  birth,  death,  resur- 
rection, etc..  so  the  Holy  Spirit  asserts  His  sanctifying  power 
by  the  following  means  :  the  Communion  of  Saints,  or  Chris- 
tian Church;  the  forgiveness  of  sins;  the  resurrection  of  the 
body;  and  eternal  life:  that  is,  He  first  of  all,  leads  us  into  His 
Communion  of  Saints  and  puts  us  into  the  lap  of  the  Church, 
whereby  He  delivers  His  message  to  us  and  brings  us  to 
Christ".  Repeating  subsequently  this  outline  of  the  article  in 
express  words,  Luther  says  of  the  whole  exposition  in  con- 
nection with  that  outline:  "Let  this  suffice  as  a  summary  of  this 
aritcle".  However,  he  himself  does  not  let  such  "summary  of 
this  article"  suffice.  "Rather,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  several 
parts  there  enumerated  are  not  clear  enough  for  ordinary  peo- 
ple", he  devotee  to  each  a  special  paragraph  :  "Church",  "Com- 
munion of  Saints",  "forgiveness  of  sins",  and  "eternal  life". 
Not  so  in  the  Small  Catechism.  Here  he  consistently  carries 
out  his  principle  that  "everything  must  take  its  stand  upon  the 
Holy  Spirit".  While  he  touches  upon  the  other  parts,  he  nei- 
ther co-ordinates  them  with  the  main  part  nor  explains  them 
severally,  irrespective  of  the  connection,  but  subordinates  them 
all  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  knowing  no  other  subject  of  his  con- 
fession than  Him  and  His  work  alone.  At  a  previous  place 
we  have  emphasized  the  fact  that  these  attributes  of  unity 
and  compactness  constitute  the  principal  excellence  of  his 
explanation  of  the  Third  Article   (p.  113  f.). 

It  is  regrettable  that  this  advantage  has  been  recognized 
and  turned  to  account  by  but  few  commentators.  Quite  a  num- 
ber have  adopted  the  medieval  twelvefold  division,  while  others, 
who  succeeded  in  preserving  the  unity  of  the  first  two  articles, 
have  dissected  the  Third  into  five  parts,  more  or  less  discrete. 
This  has  been  the  case  down  to  modern  times,  when  the  asser- 
tion  was   made,  or   rather  renewed,   that  Luther  had  accurately 


400  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

followed  in  his  explanation  the  several  parts  of  the  text.  There 
is  some  truth  in  this;  but  when  the  subjects  of  the  Church,  of 
the  forgiveness  of  sins,  etc.,  are  treated  as  independent,  the  fact 
is  overlooked  that  Luther  does  not  see  them  at  all  in  that  light, 
but  only  as  subordinate  to  the  one  subject — the  Holy  Spirit. 
Also  Kaftan,  although  more  intent  than  most  catechists  upon 
maintaining  the  connection  between  the  Holy  Spirit  as  subject 
and  the  other  parts,  nor  unmindful  of  the  value  of  the  preterits 
("has  called  me  .  .  .  kept  me  in  the  true  faith"),  does  not  do 
justice  to  the  matter.  When  he  says  (p.  246)  in  regard  to  the 
division  :  "Just  as  we  confess  faith  in  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
Third  Article,  so  we  confess  the  Holy  Christian  Church,  which 
exists  through  the  Holy  Spirit  and  in  which  He  unfolds  His 
activity",  let  us  apply  the  touch-stone  of  Luther's  exposition. 
According  to  that,  we  confess  the  Church  not  as  something 
"alongside  the  Holy  Spirit"  but  we  confess  of  the  same  Holy 
Spirit,  in  regard  to  whom  we  have  confessed  something  in  the 
first  section,  something  additional,  namely,  that  He  calls  the 
whole  Christian  Church  on  earth,  etc.  We  have  been  of  the 
conviction  for  more  than  twenty  years  that  Luther's  explana- 
tion best  comes  into  its  own  when  the  following  division  is 
adopted  as  an  outline  of  it:  1.  What  the  Holy  Spirit  has 
done  in  the  past;  2.  what  He  is  doing  in  the  present;  3.  what 
He  still  will  do  in  the  future.  The  article  thus  outlined,  every- 
thing, as  in  the  case  of  Luther,  is  dominated  by  one  subject — the 
Holy  Spirit;  the  other  parts  of  the  article  receive  the  same 
treatment  that  Luther  accorded  them;  the  preterits  in  the  first 
section,  to  which  the  value  of  the  present  is  so  largely  as- 
signed, receive  the  distinct  tense  value  to  which  they  are  en- 
titled ;  and  the  whole  article,  as  we  can  assert  from  experience, 
becomes  clear  and  intelligible  to  the  children.  Nor  is  it  neces- 
sary to  repeat  here  that,  where  the  Third  Article  is  thus  taught, 
the  fundamental  knowledge  that  the  salvation  of  the  Christian, 
from  beginning  to  end,  rests  not  on  himself  but  on  Christ  and 
His  Holy  Spirit,  will  effectively  be  impressed  upon  the  pupil's 
consciousness  (p.  114).  Kaftan  (p.  229)  repudiates  this  outline. 
But  the  Large  Catechism  shows  that  it  was  not  remote  from  Lu- 
ther's mind;  for  he  there  connects  the  subjects  of  Church  and 
forgiveness  of  sins  with  the  present,  and  those  of  the  resurrection 
and  eternal  life  with  the  future,  exactly  as  he  does  in  the  Small 


The  Catechism  401 

Catechism.  Here  are  his  words :  "Therefore  we  believe  in 
Him  who  calls  us  every  day  through  the  word  and  gives  us 
faith,  which  He  strengthens  through  the  same  word  and  the  for- 
giveness of  sin,  so  that,  when  all  this  shall  have  been  effected, 
and  we  remain  faithful,  dying  to  the  world  and  all  her  dis- 
appointments, He  may  sanctify  us  perfectly  and  eternally — a 
consummation  looked  for  in  faith  according  to  the  Word"  (30, 
1,  p.  191).  With  even  greater  clearness,  these  thoughts,  several 
times  repeated  at  that,  are  found  in  the  catechetical  sermon  of 
December  tenth,  1528.  There  we  read :  "He  is  here  called  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Why  so?  Because  He  sanctifies.  And  I  believe 
in  the  Holy  Spirit  for  the  reason  that  He  has  sanctified  me  and 
sanctifies  me  to  this  day,  ...  He  has  already  begun  to  sanctify 
me;  when  I  shall  have  died,  He  will  complete  this  sanctifica- 
tion  through  these  two  :  the  resurrection  of  the  body  and  eternal 
life.  The  other  parts  signify  the  means,  or  method,  through 
which  He  sanctifies  me,  inasmuch  as  the  Holy  Spirit  does  not 
sanctify  thee  outside  the  Church.  That  is  the  reason  that  the 
Christian  Church,  in  which  all  His  gifts  are  found,  is  placed 
immediately  after  the  Holy  Spirit.  Through  this  Church  He 
proclaims  His  message,  calls  thee,  makes  Christ  known  to  thee, 
and  instills  faith  into  thee,  so  that,  through  the  Word  and  the 
Sacraments,  thou  mayest  become  free  from  sins ;  and  thus  thou 
art  truly  free  on  earth.  If  thou  diest  and  remainest  in  the 
Church,  He  will  raise  thee  from  the  dead  and  sanctify  thee  alto- 
gether. .  .  And  the  Holy  Spirit  sanctifies  me  through  the  Word 
and  Sacraments,  which  are  in  the  Church,  and  will  sanctify 
us  perfectly  on  the  last  day"  (30,  1,  p.  93  f.).  We  refer  to  out 
Explanation  of  the  Catechism  as  proof  that,  when  the  Third 
Article  is  thus  skeletonized,  Luther's  explanation  comes  into 
its  own  better  than  with  any  other  outline  so  far  suggested. 
The  term  sanctification  occurs  in  the  Third  Article  in  both 
a  narrower  and  a  wider  sense — in  the  wider  sense,  in  the  head- 
ing; in  the  narrower,  in  the  sections  "sanctified  in  the  true 
faith",  and  "sanctifies  the  whole  Christian  Church".  Sanctify 
in  the  wider  sense  means  to  Luther  "to  lead  to  Christ  for 
time  and  eternity" ;  compare  above  quotations.  In  the  narrower 
sense,  therefore,  no  other  meaning  is  possible  than  "to  bring 
one  to  faith  and  thus  to  lead  him  into  a  state  of  righteousness". 
The   latter  view  has   been   impugned  by  those   who  understand 


402  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

by  "sanctified"  subjective  sanctification — the  victorious  iife-long 
conflict  with  sin,  or,  at  least,  the  union  of  both — justification 
and  the  daily  subjective  sanctification.  That  sanctification  can 
be  taken  in  a  subjective  sense,  and  has  been  taken  in  that  sense 
also  by  Luther,  is  perfectly  true;  but  that  does  not  prove  its 
use  in  that  sense  in  this  connection.  That  Luther  has  rather 
used  it  at  this  place  in  an  objective  sense,  is  evidenced  in  the 
first  place  by  the  fact  that  the  objective  sense,  in  his  writings 
as  well  as  in  the  New  Testament,  is  the  one  which  predominates 
(compare  Koestlin,  Luther's  Theologie2  II,  p.  178  f.,  sanctifica- 
tion —  justification)  ;  in  the  second  place,  by  the  use  of  it  in  an 
objective  sense  in  the  Large  Catechism;  for  instance,  30,  1. 
p.  188:  "Therefore,  to  sanctify  means  nothing  but  to  lead  to  the 
Lord  Jesus,  that  such  blessing  be  received" — namely,  Christ's 
redemption. — With  the  question  just  disposed  of  another  is  inti- 
mately connected,  namely,  how  the  four  verbs  "call,  enlighten, 
sanctify,  and  preserve"  are  to  be  understood.  The  view  has 
found  vogue  that  the  order  of  salvation  is  here  shown  as  a  suc- 
cession of  four  stages,  which  must  be  treated,  as  in  the  later 
dogmatics,  in.  perhaps,  such  a  way  that  even  the  first  three 
describe  three  chronologically  successive  steps.  Thus,  for  in- 
stance, Tetelbach  :  "How  many  acts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  here 
enumerated?  Four.  First,  He  calls  us  to  a  diligent  hearing 
of  the  Word  of  God.  and  makes  and  effects  in  us  the  beginning 
of  conversion.  Which  is  the  other?  He  enlightens  by  the  Gos- 
pel our  dark  and  blind  hearts  through  the  light  of  faith,  so  that 
we,  erstwhile  unbelievers,  become  believers.  Which  is  the 
third?  He  sanctifies  us  in  the  true  faith,  so  that  our  whole  life 
is  the  process  of  a  new  obedience  in  love,  joy,  peace,  patience, 
chastity.  Which  is  the  fourth?  He  preserves  us  constantly 
in  the  truth  which  we  have  recognized,  in  the  true  faith,  and  a 
blessed  confession  to  the  end.  Accordingly,  beginning,  middle, 
and  end  of  our  salvation  is  the  work  of  God  the  Holy  Spirit" 
(Reu,  I,  1,  p.  689  f.).  There  was  a  time  when  we  had  the  same 
view;  however,  by  paying  more  attention  to  biblical  usage  re- 
garding this  point  (see  Reu,  Heilsordnung,  1914),  and  by  re- 
newed study  of  Luther's  preliminary  labors,  we  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  first  three  of  the  verbs  enumerated  are  not 
at  all  intended  to  describe  three  distinct,  successive  stages  of  the 
Holy  Spirit's  saving  work,  but  rather  the  one  saving  work  from 


The  Catechism  403 

three  different  aspects,  in  order  effectively  to  reveal  its  magni- 
tude. When  we  were  far  from  Christ,  the  Holy  Spirit  led  us 
to  Christ  (call  =  effectual,  successful  call,  not  —  invitation)  ; 
He  enlightened  us,  erstwhile  dark  within,  with  His  gifts,  that 
is.  He  gave  us  inward  light  through  the  knowledge  He  en- 
kindled within  us;  He  transplanted  us,  lying  in  sin,  into  a 
state  of  holiness  and  righteousness,  through  faith  in  the  for- 
giveness obtained  in  Christ, — a  faith  wrought  by  Himself.  In 
the  first  clause  the  Word  is  stressed  through  which  the  act 
of  sanctification  takes  place;  in  the  second,  the  knowledge 
conveyed  by  the  Holy  Spirit;  in  the  third,  the  faith  by  creating 
of  which  the  Holy  Spirit  led  us  to  Christ.  Looking  back,  the 
Christian  is  constrained  to  confess  :  "If  the  Holy  Spirit  had  not 
led  me  to  Christ  through  the  Gospel,  I  should  still  be  far  from 
Him  ;  if  He  had  not  enlightened  my  heart  through  the  knowledge 
enkindled  by  Him,  I  should  still  sit  in  darkness;  if  He  had  not 
enabled  me,  by  the  working  of  faith  within  me,  to  obtain  forgive- 
ness and  thus  to  enter  a  state  of  holiness  and  righteousness  in 
the  sight  of  God,  I  should  si.il  1  be  in  my  sin".  But,  making  this 
confession,  the  Christian  does  not  posit  three  successive  acts ; 
he  merely  means  to  give  expression  to  the  one  blessed  experi- 
ence of  salvation  from  every  possible  point  of  view.  This  was 
understood  by  A.  Siber  already,  or  he  could  not  have  para- 
phrased this  section  of  the  Enchiridion  as  he  did  in  his  "Sab- 
batum  puerile"  :  "Qui  quidem,  lege  contusum  et  occisum,  ser- 
mone  reconciliations,  quae  est  vox  Evangelii,  in  vitam  me 
vocarit  (note  well !  effectual  call),  sua  gratia  collustrarit,  fidei 
sanctitate  insignierit"  (Reu,  I.  22,  p.  570).  The  catechist,  al- 
though he  will  find  it  incumbent  upon  him  to  impress  upon 
the  children  the  fact  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has  worked  upon 
them  through  Baptism  and  instruction  in  the  Word,  dare  not 
forget  throughout  this  section  with  its  preterits  what  was  said 
by  us  on  p.  346;  let  him  speak  from  the  standpoint  of  his  own 
life  or  that  of  well-known  men  of  God,  lest  guile  or  lip  service 
insinuate  themselves  into  the  teaching,  especially  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  he  also  confesses :  "and  preserved  me  in  the  true 
faith". 

Finally,  a  brief  remark  relative  to  the  much  mooted  section 
of  this  article  :  "enlightened  me  with  His  gifts".  He  who  thinks 
that  the  fundamental  features  of  the  order  of  salvation  are  here 


404  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

indicated  as  its  component  successive  steps,  and,  accordingly, 
mistakes  the  "call"  as  a  mere  invitation  to  come  to  Christ,  will 
surely  find  himself  tempted  to  understand  by  the  "gifts"  with 
which  he  has  been  enlightened  the  Law  and  the  Gospel — a 
view  that,  for  a  long  time,  constituted  the  exclusive  catechetical 
tradition.  While  already  the  sequence  thus  arising — Gospel,  Law, 
and  Gospel  again — should  make  one  suspicious,  that  in  itsell 
would  not  be  an  invincible  obstacle,  at  least  from  the  stand- 
point of  dogmatics.  Even  more  significant  would  be  the  change 
of  prepositions;  for  we  should  expect  "by"  a  second  time  in- 
stead of  "with".  What  is  more  important  is  the  fact  that  nothing 
in  Luther  justifies  such  an  interpretation,  at  least  nothing  in  his 
preliminary  notes  to  the  Catechism.  Well  does  Albrecht  say 
anent  this  matter :  "In  the  sermon  of  December  tenth  (30,  1, 
p.  94),  the  "dona  spiritus  sancti"  evidently  mean  the  objective 
spiritual  gifts  or  official  endowments  in  the  sense  of  1  Cor. 
12,  4  ff.  and  Eph.  4,  11  f.  In  the  same  sense  the  phrase  "all  His 
gifts'  in  the  Large  Catechism  will  have  to  be  understood  (30, 
1,  p.  192),  probably  also  that  found  on  page  190:  "with  various 
gifts".  On  the  other  hand,  the  clause  on  p.  192,  line  15  f. :  "and 
are  also  enlightened  and  favored  by  His  grace  through  the  Holy 
Spirit",  when  studied  in  the  light  of  the  context,  leads  to  the 
conclusion  that  here  the  subjective  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
are  meant.  Luther's  point  of  view  may  have  been  the  widely 
spread  medieval  doctrine  of  the  seven  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
according  to  Isa.  11,  2.  which  was  retained  by  him,  his  Pente- 
costal hymn  serving  as  a  case  in  point :  "Come,  O  Creator 
God"  (Thou  art  with  powers  sevenfold  the  finger  on  the  hanc 
divine)  ;  or  it  may  have  been  certain  biblical  passages,  such  as 
Rom.  8.  Iff.;  Gal.  5.  22;  or,  possibly,  a  suggestion  such  as 
that  contained  in  the  German  "Patrem"  :  "Who  comforts  every 
timid  man,  With  fairest  gifts  endows  him"  (Der  aller  Bioeden 
Troester  heisst  und  mit  Gaben  zieret  schoene)".  R.  Hadamarius 
writes  (1552)  :  "Quae  dona  sunt  Spiritus  sancti?  Vera  sapi- 
entia,  intellectus,  consilium,  fortitudo,  scientia,  pietas,  timor 
dei  (Reu,  I,  22,  p.  1030).  Bischof  (1599):  "Thereupon  He  en- 
lightens our  hearts  with  the  true  knowledge  of  God  and  true 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  whereby  we  obtain  the  forgiveness  of  sin" 
(Reu,  I,  22,  p.  609).  The  Joachimsthal  Catechism  (1574)  has 
it:     "Who  enlightens  our  blind  hearts?    Alone  the  Holy  Spirit, 


The  Catechism  405 

the  very  love  and  fire  in  God;  He  is  poured  out  into  our  hearts 
and  regenerates  us,  enkindling  a  new  light  in  us  and  leading  us 
to  the  knowledge  of  God  the  Father  and  His  Son,  Matth.  16, 
17;  1  Cor.  12,  3"  (Reu,  I,  2-\  p.  609).  The  interpretation  of  the 
gifts  of  the  Spirit  in  an  objective  sense  did  not  appear  in  the 
expositions  of  the  sixteenth  century.  In  itself  it  would  be  quite 
correct  to  say  that  the  Holy  Spirit  enlightens  us  by  arousing 
apostles,  prophets,  evangelists,  etc.  A  warrant  for  this  view 
might  be  found  in  the  December  sermons  and  the  stress  laid 
upon  the  ministerial  office  in  the  Large  Catechism;  but  this 
interpretation,  too,  would  call  for  the  preposition  "by"  instead 
of  "with".  We  have  no  choice,  therefore,  in  the  premises,  but 
are  shut  up  to  the  conclusion  that  subjective  gifts  are  meant: 
The  Spirit  has  enlightened  and  favored,  graced  and  adorned  me 
with  knowledge,  wisdom,  comfort,  power,  and  every  variety  of 
virtue  (compare  the  Large  Catechism,  30,  1,  p.  190,  192) ;  or, 
as  more  in  harmony  with  the  context  in  the  Small  Catechism 
(consider,  for  instance,  the  contrast  to  :  "not  by  my  own  rea- 
son") :  .  He  has  illumined  me  within  by  giving  me  the  true 
knowledge  of  Christ  and  my  sin :  of  my  sin,  by  teaching  me 
that  it  poisons  my  life  and  accuses  me  before  God;  of  Christ, 
by  showing  me  that  He  is  my  Savior  and  my  Lord,  who  has 
redeemed  me  from  sin,  and  whose  own  I  am  to  be  henceforth 
and  forever. 

When,  in  conclusion,  a  retrospective  view  is  taken  of  the 
three  Articles  as  a  unit,  the  subject  of  the  Holy  Trinity  becomes 
a  self-evident  inference.  "We  should  never  be  able  to  recog- 
nize the  favor  and  grace  of  the  Father  without  the  Lord  Jesus, 
who  is  a  mirror  of  God's  father  heart,  and  without  whom  we 
can  see  only  a  wrathful  and  terrible  judge;  nor  could  we  know 
anything  of  Christ  but  for  the  Holy  Spirit's  revelation",  says 
Luther  in  the  Large  Catechism. — In  regard  to  the  other  Chief 
Parts  we  have  to  refer  to  Kaftan  and  our  exposition. 

Whether  it  be  advisable  to  supply  the  child  with  an 
elaborate  explanation  of  the  Small  Catechism  as  an  aid 
in  catechetical  instruction,  is  a  moot  point.  Our  local 
educational  conditions  would  strongly  favor  such  ex- 
pedient.   In  any  event  such  explanation  dare  not  be  any- 


406  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

thing  but  the  digest  of  the  previous  catechization,  in  that, 
with  Luther's  Catechism  as  only  material  to  start  from 
in  the  catechetical  period,  the  printed  explanation  is 
merely  the  recapitulation  of  what  had  been  elaborated 
orally,  which  is  to  accompany  the  children  to  their 
homes  for  the  purpose  of  permanently  appropriating  the 
same.  Whether  the  form  of  such  catechetical  explana- 
tion is  erotematic  or  thetic,  is  in  itself  immaterial.  This 
much,  however,  can  be  said  in  favor  of  the  thetic  form : 
I.  the  catechist  will  find  himself  less  shackled  by  the 
employment  of  the  thetic  form  than  the  other;  2.  the 
child  is  more  easily  trained  for  independent  thinking 
where  the  thetic  method  obtains,  for  the  reason  that,  at 
the  review,  it  will  have  to  seek  the  answer  independently 
in  the  material  assigned  to  it;  3.  the  thetic  form  sup- 
plies the  thought  as  a  whole,  whereas  the  other  method 
usually  supplies  only  half  the  thought,  since  the  child 
is  very  much  inclined  to  memorize  only  the  answer  and 
to  put  the  question  aside ;  4.  the  thetic  method  leads  to  a 
better  mastery  of  the  Catechism,  for  here  the  text  of  the 
Catechism  can  be  plainly  traced  by  the  eye,  as  it  winds 
through  all  the  explanation  like  a  string  of  pearls. 

27.     Holy  Scripture. 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  II-  :  Der  bibl.  Unterricht  i.  d.  Volksschule 
pp.  188—220),  1869.— K.  Buchrucker  (pp.  154—158),  1889.— E. 
Sachsse  (pp.  334—336),  1897.— F.  Zange  (pp.  73—142),  1897.— 
A.  Eckert  (pp.  33—35;  55—61),  1899.— O.  Baumgarten  (pp.  74— 
80;  87—88),  1903.— J.  Gottschick  (pp.  126—141),  1908.— J.  Berndt 
(pp.  36—55),  1909.— R.  Kabisch  (pp.  129—156),  1910.— E.  Chr. 
Achelis  (pp.  266—283),  1911.— A.  Rude  (pp.  90—99;  126—129), 
1912.— J.  Steinbeck  (pp.  193—200).  1914.— E.  Kautzsch,  Bibel- 
wissenschaft und  Religionsunterricht,  1900. — T.  Raymont,  The 
Use  of  the  Bible  in  the  Education  of  the  Young,  1911.— H.  E. 
Weber,    Historisch-kritische    Schriftforschung   und    Bibelglaube, 


Holy  Scripture  407 

21914. — Geo.  Hodges,  The  Training  of  Children  in  Religion  (pp. 
167 — 217),  1917. — M.  Reu,  Quellen  zur  Geschichte  des  kirchlichen 
Unterrichts,  2.  Teil :  Der  Bibelunterricht,  1906.— On  Memori- 
zation and  Explanation  of  Bible  Passages:  G.  W.  W.  Thilo, 
Der  Bibelspruch  im  Dienst  des  Religionsunterrichts,  1846. — M. 
Reu,  Quellen,  etc.,  1906. — Eckhart,  Kurze  Erklaerung  der  wich- 
tigsten Bibelsprueche,  1887. — Peschel,  Ausfuehrliche  Erklaerung 
der  wichtigsten  Bibelsprueche  fuer  den  Katechismusunterricht, 
1887.— L.  Schultze,  Katechetische  Bausteine,  "1891.— K.  Buch- 
rucker,  Der  Schriftbeweis  im  Katechismus,  1893. — Hauffe,  120 
Sprueche  schulmaessig  erklaert,  1896. — H.  Toegel,  Der  konkrete 
Hintergrund  z.  d.  150  Kernspruechen  d.  relig.  Memorierstoffes. 
-'1904. — H.  Toegel,  Die  Behandlung  der  Sprueche  (Paedag.  Stu- 
dien), 1904.— Th.  Meinhold,  Die  biblische  Grundlage  f.  d.  Kate- 
chismusunterricht, 1907. — Zeissig  and  Fritzsche,  Prakt,  Volks- 
schulpaedagogik  (7  catechizations  on  Bible  Passages  by  Toe- 
gel), -1908. — W.  W.  Stellhorn,  Schriftbeweis  i.  luth.  Katechis- 
mus. 1912. — L.  Wessel,  The  Proof  Texts  of  the  Catechism  with 
a  practical  Commentary  (Theological  Quarterly),  1917  f. — On 
the  question  of  Bible  Reading,  Introduction  to  the  Bible, 
School  Bible  and  Bible  Reader:  Boettcher,  Handreichung  f. 
d.  Bibellesestunde,  1894.— O.  Zuck,  Das  Bibellesen  i.  Anschluss 
an  Bibl.  Geschichte  und  Katechismus,  1896. — Melinat,  Das  Bibel- 
lcsen  i.  Volksschulunterricht,  1898. — Habermas,  Handbuch  d. 
Bibellesens  u.  der  Bibelkunde,  1898.— H.  and  F.  Falcke,  Bibel- 
lesen, 1899.— J.  H.  A.  Fricke,  Bibelkunde,  part  I,  21904;  part 
II.  1898.— J.  A.  W.  Haas,  Bible  Literature,  1903.— General  Coun- 
cil Graded  System:  Bible  Outlines,  Scripture  Quarterly,  Lesson 
Commentary. — H.  C.  Alleman,  The  Book  and  the  Mes- 
sage, 1914. — M.  Reu,  Wartburg  Lesson  Helps,  course  III :  The 
Book  of  Life,  2  vols,  1917  ff.— John  Schaller,  The  Book  of  Books, 
1918.— F.  Sheatsley,  A  Guide  to  the  Study  of  the  Bible,  1918. — 
R.  Hofmann,  Die  Schulbibel  (1872),  -1896.— Martin,  Die  Schul- 
bibelfrage,  1888. — Baehnisch,  Ist  eine  Schulbibel  notwendig  und 
wie  muss  sie  beschaffen  sein,  1892. — J.  Schlier,  Bibel,  Schulbibel. 
Biblisches  Lesebuch  (N.  kirchl.  Zeitschr.),  1904. — Behr,  Die 
Schulbibelfrage,  1895.— Evers,  Die  Schulbibelfrage,  1895.— Muel- 
ler, Bibel  oder  Schulbibel,  1896.— Dix,  Neuere  Geschichte  der 
Schulbibel,  1898.— R.  Locke,  Vollbibel,  Schulbibel,  Bibl.  Lese- 
buch,   1898. — Biblisches    Lesebuch    d.    Bremischen    Bibelgesell- 


408  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

schaft  oder  Schulbibel,  1894. — Schaefer  and  Krebs,  Bibl.  Lese- 
buch f.  d.  Schulgebrauch,  1896. — Voelker  and  Strack,  Bibl. 
Lesebuch  (1890),  1898. — Biblisches  Lesebuch  f.  evang.  Schulen 
(Stuttgart),  1901. — Frischi,  Schremmer  and  Holzinger,  Bibl. 
Lesebuch,  1909. — Ostermai,  Toegel  and  Neuberg,  Biblisches 
Lesebuch  mit  Bildschmuck,  1911. — Thisselton  Mark,  The  Young 
Peoples'  Bible,  2  vols,  about  1910. — Ella  Broadus  Robertson, 
The  Heart  of  the  Bible,  1911.— H.  Spanuth,  Die  Propheten  d. 
A.  Bundes.  Lebensbilder  u.  Entwuerfe  z.  unterrichtl.  Behand- 
lung, 1903. — P.  Staude,  Der  Prophet  Jeremia;  Praeparationen 
in  darstellender  Form,  1906. — Witzmann,  Die  unterrichtl.  Be- 
handlung d.  Psalmen,  1906. — Werkmeister,  20  ausgew.  Psalmen; 
Preparationen,  1908. — E.  Greenwald,  Questions  on  the  Gospels 
for  the  Church  Year,  1873.;  Questions  on  the  Epistles  of  the 
Church  Year,  1874. — Sperber,  Erklaerung  der  Sonn.-  und  Fest- 
tagsevangelien, 31888. — R.  Kabisch,  Die  Episteln  u.  Evangelien 
f.  Volksschullehrer,  1897. — Lohoff,  Kurze  Handreichung  z.  Be- 
handlung d.  Perikopen  d.  Kirchenjahres,   1902. 

As  Biblical  History  and  the  Catechism  are  based 
altogether  on  the  Scriptures,  being  in  part  in  verbal 
agreement  with  the  same,  the  opinion  might  appear 
warranted  that  no  further,  specific,  instruction  in  Holy 
Scripture  might  be  necessary.  The  omission  of  the 
Bible  from  the  religious  curriculum,  however,  would  not 
correspond  to  the  supreme  importance  attaching  to  that 
book  wherever  minds  are  under  the  influence  of  the 
Gospel.  As  the  record  and  the  permanent  representa- 
tion of  the  divine  revelation;  as  the  fountain  and  norm 
of  all  saving  knowledge;  as  the  voice  of  true  author- 
ity and  the  book  of  life  for  the  mature  congregation, 
from  which  comfort,  counsel,  incentive,  and  power  are 
to  be  drawn  every  day,  the  Bible  requires  a  special  me-' 
thod  of  treatment:  and  instruction  in  Biblical  History 
and  Catechism  would  be  deficient  at  a  vital  point,  did 
they  fail  to  lead  the  pupil  back  to  Scripture  at  every 
step,  and  thereby  prepare  him  for  an  independent  use  of 


Holy  Scripture  409 

it.  If  the  mature  congregation  of  the  present  day  does 
not  use  the  Bible  with  greater  diligence,  the  cause  is, 
in  great  part,  that  its  youth  has  not  been  properly  intro- 
duced to  this  precious  book. 

One  feature  of  the  instruction  of  the  youth  in  Holy 
Scripture  is  the  literal  memorizing  of  some  of  the 
principal  parts  of  Scripture.  Of  late,  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted, opposition  against  this  practise  has  arisen,  on  the 
plea  that  the  Bible  is  thus  degraded  to  the  level  of  a 
book  of  oracles ;  but  the  advocates  of  such  a  view  have 
failed  to  conceive  the  peculiar  character  of  Scripture, 
according  to  which  fundamental  truths  have  so  crystal- 
ized  in  some  of  its  individual  passages  that  the  whole 
Christ,  with  His  holy  love  and  divine  grace,  shines  forth 
from  them.  Nor  has  due  account  been  taken  of  the  need 
of  the  ordinary  Christian,  who  lacks  the  faculty  of  sur- 
veying large  complexes,  and  who  is  unable  so  to  retain 
them  that  they  are  at  his  disposal  as  soon  as  needed. 
It  is  in  harmony  with  his  manner  of  learning  a  subject 
and  retaining  it  for  future  direction  and  solace  to  en- 
trust to  his  heart  and  memory  a  treasure  of  passages  in 
which  this  or  that  truth  is  concentrated  as  light  is  in  the 
sun.  The  history  of  the  Christian  Church  is  full  of  tes- 
timonies to  the  fact  that  just  such  individual  passages 
have  been  the  stay  and  comfort  of  many. 

The  memorizing  of  individual  Bible  words  is  most 
effectively  attended  to  when  associated  with  instruction 
in  Biblical  History  and  the  Catechism ;  for  the  Lutheran 
catechist  feels  the  need  of  summarizing  the  fundamental 
thoughts  of  the  individual  Bible  narratives  in  words 
of  Holy  Scripture  and,  likewise,  of  proving  the  doctrinal 
statements  of  the  Catechism  by  Scripture.  The  last- 
named   province   suggests   the  necessity   for  a   fund   of 


410  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

"dicta  probanda",  or  proof  passages.  In  the  selection  of 
these  the  main  requisite  to  be  looked  for  is  that  they  are 
clear  and  readily  intelligible,  brief  and  pithy,  trenchant 
and  apt,  and  also  easily  memorized  and  retained.  Above 
all,  the  connection  in  which  they  are  found  in  Scrip- 
ture must  tally  with  that  in  which  they  are  employed  in 
catechetical  instruction :  only  thus  can  they  possess  the 
force  of  proof  passages.  In  connection  with  some  of 
these  chief  passages,  the  catechist  will  do  well  to  enter 
more  fully  upon  the  biblical  context.  If  a  number  of 
passages  is  used  in  support  of  a  certain  doctrine,  they 
should  be  so  arranged  as  to  correspond  to  the  progress 
of  revelation,  for  instance,  when  the  Bible  proof  for  the 
divine  sonship  of  Christ  is  furnished.  Such  passages 
are  entitled  to  particular  attention  as  embody  the 
consummation  and  fruitage  of  whole  periods  of  de- 
velopment. But  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  see  to  the 
memorizing  and  elucidation  of  such  passages  only  as 
serving  the  purpose  of  proof  passages.  The  criterion  for 
the  selection  of  Bible  passages  should  not  merely  be 
their  evidential  value,  but  also  their  vital  content  in  the 
form  of  comfort  and  admonition.  Words  that  awaken 
life  and  quicken  life,  words  of  majesty  that  engrave 
themselves,  as  with  stencil  of  diamond,  upon  the  heart 
and  conscience  of  the  child,  to  become  a  real  treasure 
for  all  after-life,  a  stand-by  in  breath  and  in  death — 
such  words  require  particular  attention.  Especially  the 
Psalms  and  Prophets,  with  their  fullness  of  pithy  max- 
ims, should  freely  be  drawn  upon.  It  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  that  the  teacher  should  guard  against  the 
mistake  of  having  too  many  Bible  passages  memor- 
ized. Where  there  is  no  regular  parish  school,  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  passages  should  be  the  limit ;  these  should 


Holy   Scripture  411 

be  reviewed  with  such  frequency  that  they  become  the 
children's  indefeasible  treasure.  Only  thus  time  is  found 
to  explain  them — a  duty  that  must  never  be  set  aside., 
and,  also,  to  have  the  more  gifted  children  in  the  course 
of  time  memorize  some  larger  sections  of  Scripture,  for 
instance,  Ps.  23,  51,  90,  91 ;  Is.  9,  1—7;  40,  26—31  ;  53, 
1 — 12;  portions  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  the 
last  sayings  of  Christ  (for  instance,  Matth.  25,  31 — 46)  ; 
Phil.  2,  5—11;  Rom.  3,  21—28;  5,  1—11;  8,  31—39; 
1  Cor.  13;  Rev.  3,  17—20. 

Already  since  the  sixteenth  century  the  reading 
and  explanation  of  the  pericopes  have  been  looked  upon 
as  a  feature  of  instruction  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Sat- 
urday was  usually  the  time  set  for  that  purpose,  in  order 
to  facilitate  the  understanding  of  the  sermon  on  the 
day  following.  Since  instruction  in  Biblical  History 
has  become  general,  the  need  of  this  feature  is  not  so 
urgent  as  in  the  past.  Are  the  pericopes  made  a  feature 
of  religious  instruction,  say,  the  Epistles, — they  should 
be  looked  up  by  the  children  in  the  Bible  and  read  there- 
from, and  not  from  the  Church  Book ;  the  portions  hard 
to  understand  should  be  especially  explained ;  the  main 
thoughts  should  be  made  to  stand  out  from  the  back- 
ground of  the  whole ;  and  all  of  the  pericope  should  be 
explained  to  the  children  in  an  edifying  manner,  and 
impressed  upon  their  minds,  in  keeping  with  the  respec- 
tive level  of  knowledge  to  which  they  have  attained. 
But  still  other  features  must  be  observed  in  the  endeavor 
to  introduce  the  young  to  Scripture.  Regular  reading 
of  the  Bible  must  take  place.  This  will  be  accomplished 
best  when  special  periods  are  appointed  for  it, 
so  that  larger  sections  can  be  read  connectedly, 
and    an    explanation    be    added.      Where    that    proves 


412  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

impracticable,  this  much  at  least  should  be  done 
that  the  reading  of  the  Bible  goes  hand  in  hand  with 
Biblical  History  and  instruction  in  the  Catechism.  It 
is  recommended  that,  when  the  creation  narrative  or  the 
First  Article  is  under  consideration,  such  portions  be 
read  as  Ps.  104,  121,  91;  Job  38,  1—10,  5;  Is.  40,  12  ff . ; 
Ps.  8;  1  Kings  17,  1—16;  Acts  12,  1—24;  Gen.  32,  10— 
13 ;  Matth.  6,  25 — 34.  In  connection  with  the  conclusion 
of  the  Commandments  there  might  be  read  the  narrative 
of  the  flood,  of  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
lah,  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  of  the  going  of  the 
children  of  Israel  into  exile,  but  also  the  narrative  of 
Joseph.  In  connection  with  the  Second  Article  the  fol- 
lowing portions  would  be  appropriate :  Lk.  2,  1 — 14 ; 
John  1,  1—18;  Is.  53 ;  Ps.  110.  The  Third  Article  would 
receive  illumination  from  Joel  3,  1 — 5 ;  Acts  2,  1 — 47 ; 
John  16,  1 — 15.  The  Third  Chief  Part  would  receive 
light  from  John  17,  1 — 26;  the  Fourth  from  2  Kings 
5,  1—19;  John  3;  Acts  8,  26—40;  Rom.  6,  3—11.  The 
Fifth"  Chief  Part  suggests  the  reading  of  John  6;  Rev. 
3,  14—22;  1  Cor.  11,  23—32;  and  the  part  dealing  with 
Confession,  Ps.  51 ;  32.  Where  there  is  a  good  parish 
school,  time  will  be  afforded  in  connection  with  instruc- 
tion in  the  Catechism  to  introduce  the  pupils  to  Holy 
Scripture  in  the  manner  here  shown;  where  that  oppor- 
tunity does  not  exist,  larger,  connected  sections  of  the 
Bible  ought  to  be  read  at  least  during  the  last 
weeks  of  catechumenal  instruction.  Regular  read- 
ing and  study  of  the  Bible  should  take  place 
in  the  Bible  class  of  Sunday  schools  and  in  the  devo- 
tional meetings  of  the  Young  People's  Society. 

With  the  reading  of  the  Bible  the  more  important 
elements  of  introduction  to  the   Bible   as  a  whole  are 


Holy  Scripture  413 

"-"""'^     * 

readily  connected.  At  the  hand  of  Biblical  History  the 
sequence  of  the  historic  books  and  their  main  content  are 
learned ;  the  knowledge  of  the  poetic  and  prophetic 
books  especially  must  be  imparted  by  means  of  Bible 
reading.  The  content  of  the  Gospels  is  imparted  in  a 
similar  way,  while  the  succession  of  the  Pauline  Epis- 
tles can  be  discussed  best  in  connection  with  the  mis- 
sionary journeys.  It  is  likely,  therefore,  that  an  in- 
troduction to  the  Bible  will  easily  ally  itself  with  the 
rest  of  religious  instruction.  The  memorizing  of  the 
series  of  biblical  books  should  not  take  place  discon- 
nectedly, but  in  the  connection  above  suggested.  The 
use  of  rhymed  verses  for  this  purpose  can  be  recom- 
mended only  upon  the  supposition  that  better  ones  than 
those  hitherto  used  shall  have  been  formed.  Also  the 
most  necessary  exercise  of  finding  any  one  book  of  the 
Bible  at  a  moment's  notice  and  the  acquisition  of  a 
ready  survey  of  its  technical  make-up ;  likewise  the 
solution  of  the  conventional  abbreviations  of  the  bibli- 
cal books,  should  be  connected  with  the  other  religious 
teaching,  especially  the  Catechism.  As  the  young  be- 
gin to  mature,  they  should  be  informed  concerning  the 
more  important  sections  of  the  chief  books.  For  the 
initial  stage  of  Bible  introduction  the  appendix  to  our 
"Explanation  of  Luther's  Catechism"  might  be  accept- 
able (pp.  142 — 146).  For  the  confirmed  the  third  course 
of  the  "Wartburg  Lesson  Helps"  (Bible  Class) 
is  intended.  The  whole  process  of  introduction 
to  the  Bible  should  glow  with  respect  for  the  book  and 
joy  in  it.  Always  the  equipment  of  the  young  for  an 
independent  use  of  the  Scriptures  should  be  kept  in  view 
as  the  goal ;  only  thus  can  the  hope  be  entertained  to 
train  a  generation  that  delights  and  takes  root  in  the 


414  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

Bible.  The  summarizing  of  the  material  drawn 
from  Scripture  around  the  corresponding  portion 
of  the  Catechism  as  nucleus  will  bring  clearness  and 
unity  into  the  child's  religious  concept  world,  for  which 
reason  it  is  recommended.     Compare  also  ch.  35. 

But  is  it  at  all  proper  to  put  the  Bible  into  the  hands 
of  the  children?  In  view  of  the  frank  and  unvarnished 
presentation  of  sexual  conditions  and  sins,  this  has  been 
looked  upon  as  morally  doubtful ;  for  this  reason  so- 
called  School-Bibles  and  Biblical  Readers  have  been 
produced.  Although,  for  various  reasons,  a  Biblical 
Reader  is  quite  desirable  (Th.  Mark  and  E.  Br.  Robert- 
son have  given  us  such  readers),  we,  in  a  measure,  defer 
to  those  misgivings  in  regard  to  the  Bible  when,  in  the 
use  of  the  complete  Bible,  there  is,  in  the  first  place,  no 
continuous,  or  cursory,  but  only  select,  reading,  and,  in 
the  second  place,  the  children,  as  soon  as  the  Bible  has 
been  put  in  their  hands,  are  told  that  this  book  pictures 
man  as  he  is ;  that  even  the  most  heinous  sins  are  there 
called  by  name ;  but  that  this  is  not  done  for  our  enter- 
tainment but  for  our  humiliation  and  warning,  which 
may  be  seen  from  the  fact  that,  generally,  the  penalty 
is  pictured  immediately  after  the  sin,  and  that,  when  we 
come  upon  such  passages,  we  should  read  them  with 
holy  grief  and  the  sincere  prayer  that  the  Father  in 
heaven  should  preserve  us  from  similar  transgressions. 
A  determined  fight  against  the  carnal  appetite  of  the 
young  should  be  the  chief  aim. 

28.    The  Church  Book  or  Hymnal. 

K.  Buchrucker  (pp.  158—162),  1889.— E.  Sachsse  (pp.  366— 
368),  1897.— J.  H.  Schueren  (pp.  105—125),  8 1900.— J.  Berndt 
(pp.  57—59),  1909.— R.  Kabisch  (pp.  152—157;  247—249),  1910. 
—A.    Rude    (pp.    117—122),    1912.— J.    Steinbeck    (pp.   218—222), 


The   Church  Book  or  Hymnal  415 

1914.— W.  Thilo,  Das  geistl.  Lied  i.  d.  ev.  Volksschule  Deutsch- 
lands, -1865. — E.  Sperber,  Gesch.  d.  Behandlung  des  Kirchen- 
lieds (Schumann  u.  Sperber,  Gesch.  d.  Religionsunterrichts), 
1890.— K.  Buchrucker,  Der  Gesangbuchunterricht,  2 1887.— Schu- 
macher, Lehrbeispiele  z.  Behandlung  d.  Kirchenliedes  i.  d. 
Volksschule,  1885. — Gattermann,  50  evang.  Kirchenlieder,  31900. 
— Koehler,  das  ev.  Kirchenlied  i.  d.  Volksschule,  1904. — O. 
Zuck,  Das  Kirchenlied,  3 1906.— Schultz  and  Triebel,  Die  ge- 
braeuchlichsten  Lieder  d.  ev.  Kirche,  171907.— Lehmensick,  Kern- 
lieder der  Kirche  in  Stimmungsbildern,  1907. — Schlegel,  Prae- 
parationen  fuer  Kirchenlieder  u.  Psalmen,  1908. — Achenbach, 
Behandlung  d.  Kirchenlieds  auf  historischer  Grundlage.  Lehr- 
beispiele nach  psychologischer  Methode,  41910. — F.  Niebergall, 
Bibl.  Geschichte,  Katechismus,  Gesangbuch,  1910. — Nie.  Smith, 
Hymns  Historically  Famous,  1901.— Th.  Brown  and  H.  But- 
terworth,  The  Story  of  the  Hymns  and  Tunes,  1906. — W.  L. 
Hunton,  Favorite  Hymns.  Stories  of  the  Origin,  Authorship, 
and  Use  of  Hymns  We  Love,  1917. 

Inasmuch  as  the  Christian  Congregation  constitutes 
itself  a  unit  in  the  sight  of  God  whenever  it  assembles 
for  worship,  the  youth  of  the  Church  should  be  trained 
to  take  an  independent  part  in  the  public  services.  The 
Hymnal,  or  Church  Book,  being  the  indispensable  man- 
ual for  purposes  of  worship,  one  of  the  duties  of  the 
Church  is  to  make  the  adolescent  youth  acquainted  and 
familiar  with  that.  Already  in  the  sixteenth  century 
when,  for  some  reason,  Hymnals  or  Church  Booke  were 
not  placed  in  the  hands  either  of  the  children  or  adults, 
hymns,  prayers  and  other  parts  of  the  liturgy,  even 
the  forms  for  Baptism  and  marriage,  were  appended  to 
the  Catechism.  Public  worship  adjusts  itself  to  the  sea- 
sons of  the  church  year ;  and  this  idea  of  the  church  year 
is  worked  out  in  the  Hymnal  both  in  the  liturgical  sec- 
tion and  in  that  containing"  the  hymns.  Our  youth  must 
therefore  be  introduced  to  the  proper  conception  of  the 
church  year,  a  duty  so  much  more  pressing  as,  in  our 


416  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

country,  the  Lutheran  Church  is  surrounded  by  so  many 
churches  either  altogether  ignorant  of  the  idea  of  the 
church  year  or  acquainted  with  mere  fragments  of  it. 
The  duty  of  inculcating  the  idea  of  the  church  year 
receives  added  force  from  the  argument  that,  during  the 
course  of  the  church  year,  the  most  important  acts  of 
God  bearing  on  our  redemption,  as  they  pass  in  review 
before  the  eyes  of  the  worshiping  congregation,  be- 
come a  vital  factor  of  Christian  experience.  Thus  the 
church  year  renders  a  service  too  valuable  to  permit 
its  neglect  in  the  education  of  the  young.  In- 
struction concerning  the  same  often  can  be  given 
incidentally,  for  instance,  where  the  practise  of 
reading  the  pericopes  prevails  or  where  the  selection  of 
the  material  of  Biblical  History  for  the  lower  grades 
of  the  parish  school  or  the  Sunday  school  is  made  in 
accordance  with  the  principle  of  the  church  year.  In 
any  event,  wherever  such  information  is  still  needed, 
it  should  be  given  in  a  concise  and  coherent  form  in 
connection  with  the  instruction  of  the  catechumens.  Of 
course,  care  must  be  taken  to  avoid  unnecessary  historic 
details  and  popular  but  unwarranted  combinations  con- 
cerning the  selection  of  the  pericopes  of  the  church  year 
and  their  connection  with  certain  usages  of  the  Old 
Church.  What  has  been  said  in  our  "Explanation  of 
Luther's  Catechism"  (pp.  146 — 150)  might  be  sufficient 
for  the  beginning,  later  to  be  supplemented  in  the  Young 
People's  Society. 

The  next  subject  requiring  the  attention  of  the 
catechist  are  the  hymns.  As  the  sublimate  of  the  life  of 
the  Church,  they  indicate  what  other  Christians  have  ex- 
perienced of  sin  and  grace,  and  what  of  grace  and 
strength  the  Christian  faith  has  been  to  them.     This 


The   Church   Book  or  Hymnal  417 

is  the  very  factor  constituting  their  educational  value ; 
for  the  respect  which  the  pupils  entertain  for  a  true  life 
of  faith  and  the  confidence  they  have  in  the  fountains 
of  Christian  life  from  which  those  hymns  have  streamed, 
is  enhanced  when  they  perceive  what  their  faith,  what 
the  Word,  the  omnipotence  and  grace  of  God  have  been 
to  others ;  and  they  will  be  impressed  with  the  reality 
of  sin  when  they  find  out  how  those  men  sighed  and 
suffered  under  the  wrath  of  God  because  of  it.  An- 
other argument  for  the  hymn  as  an  educational  factor 
is  its  power  to  sink  deeper  into  the  soul  than  the  spoken 
word  wherever  it  has  been  sung  with  joy  and  effect  in 
the  days  of  youth,  there  being  souls  in  which  a  hymn 
may  awaken  and  unfold  saving  force  when  all  else  has 
been  forgotten.  If  there  is  to  be  fresh,  vigorous  con- 
gregational singing — and  it  is  the  predominance  of  con- 
gregational instead  of  choir  singing  that  corresponds 
best  to  the  Reformation  principle — the  young  must  be 
drilled  with  diligence  in  the  melodies  of  those  hymns, 
and  in  their  rhythmical  setting  at  that,  which  again  has 
found  vogue  through  Tucher's,  Layritz's,  and  espe- 
cially Zahn's  efforts,  not  in  their  perverted  forms,  per- 
verted in  the  time  of  rationalism.  Compare,  f.  i.,  the 
musical  setting  of  the  chorals  in  the  English  Hymnal  of 
the  Missouri  synod,  in  the  Hymnal  of  the  Common  Ser- 
vice Book,  in  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  Hymnary,  and  in 
the  ''Wartburg  Hymnal  for  Church,  School,  and  Home", 
by  O.  Hardwig. 

"The  church  hymn  is  not,  like  its  brother  the  folk  song, 
the  property  of  merely  a  certain  period  of  life,  that  of  youth; 
it  belongs  to  the  whole  congregation,  to  all  periods  of  life.  It 
is  learned  by  heart  by  the  children,  criticized  by  those  in  a  state 
of  inner  ferment,  explained  by  the  lessons  of  life,  learned  anew 
and  comprehended  by  the  adults,  fathomed  more  deeply  through 


418  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

progressive  experience,  transfigured  by  age,  and  tested  by  death. 
The  hymn  is  your  companion  from  the  cradle  to  the  bier,  the 
expression  of  your  every  need.  Its  deep,  central  notes  not  only 
thunder  down  from  the  organ  loft;  they  also  rise  from  the  pew. 
And  when  the  time  for  singing  is  past,  it  trembles  upon  the  lip 
as  a  prayer;  when  the  word  loses  its  power  in  depths  of  woe. 
the  old  comforters  once  more  begin  to  gleam;  and  in  the  darkest 
night  of  suffering  they  sparkle  as  inextinguishable  stars."  Thus 
O.  Eberhard  in  :  "Gottes  Wort  im  Feld  und  daheim"  (Kirchl. 
Zeitschrift,  1915.  p.  278  ff.).  And  Sneath,  Hodges,  and  Tweedy 
in  "The  Religious  Training  in  the  School  and  Home"  expressed 
themselves  as  follows  (p.  163):  "One  of  the  best  gifts  which 
parents  can  give  to  their  children  is  constant  familiarity,  in- 
telligent appreciation,  and  hearty,  and  sincere  use  of  the  world's 
great  hymns.  Like  all  good  things  it  will  demand  time  and 
effort;  but  the  expenditure  will  be  more  than  compensated  by 
the  gain". 

F.  W.  Herzberger  says  :  "Our  Lutheran  Church  is  pre-emi- 
nently the  Singing  Church  of  Evangelical  Christendom.  No 
other  Church  can  rival  her  in  the  rich,  soulful  music  in  which 
she  sings  her  immortal  hymns.  Countless  other  songs  and 
melodies  have  been  composed  in  their  day,  delighted  their  audi- 
ence for  a  short  while,  and  then  passed  into  hopeless  oblivion. 
Our  majestic  Lutheran  chorals,  however,  have  survived  the 
wrecks  of  time,  and  are  still  today  the  delight  of  all  true  lovers 
of  sacred  music,  irrespective  of  creed  or  language.  "The  Lu- 
theran Church",  says  Dr.  Schaff,  the  noted  Reformed  theologian, 
draws  the  fine  arts  into  the  service  of  religion,  and  has  produced 
a  body  «of  hymns  and  chorals,  which,  in  richness,  power,  and 
unction,  surpass  the  hymnology  of  all  other  Churches  in  the 
world".  The  late  Alexander  Guilmant,  a  Frenchman  and  de- 
vout Catholic,  the  unrivaled  master  of  the  organ  in  his  day, 
declared  that  the  Lutheran  chorals  are  the  most  heart-stirring 
and  inspiring  tunes  in  the  whole  realm  of  sacred  music.  Now 
what  is  it  that  gives  to  our  Lutheran  chorals  or  church  tunes 
their  imperishable  charm?  Knowing  their  history  as  we  do, 
we  must  say  that  it  is  the  spirit  of  heroic  faith,  singing  in  every 
note  its  profound  adoration  of  the  merciful  and  omnipotent 
God  that  makes  these  old  Lutheran  chorals  so  universally  and 
solemnly   impressive    in    their   character.     They   are   alive   with 


The   Church   Book  or   Hymnal  419 

pure  and  holy  devotion.  They  thrill  the  very  depth  of  the 
Christian  heart  because  they  are  born  from  the  deepest  and 
holiest  passion  of  their  inspired  singers.  With  few  exceptions, 
they  were  composed  in  the  heroic  days  of  the  Reformation  and 
the  Thirty  Years'  War,  days  that  called  for  heroic  courage  to 
believe  and  confess  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus;  days  that  de- 
manded heroic  submission  to  the  inscrutable  ways  of  our  God 
and  Redeemer.  The  same  spirit  of  sublime,  God-given  heroism 
that  inspired  the  texts  of  our  immortal  hymns  also  inspired 
their  heart-stirring  tunes.  Hence  the  tunes  are  an  integral 
part  of  our  hymns.  Deprive  our  hymns  of  their  historic  musical 
setting,  sing  them  to  a  newer,  modern  tune,  and  you  have  de- 
prived the  rose  of  the  fragrance  she  alone  possesses,  you  have 
robbed  the  nightingale  of  her  most  rapturous  note.  You  may 
then  have  a  sorry  hybrid  of  a  poem  and  some  sort  of  tune,  but 
nevermore  the  original,  forceful,  edifying,  compact  hymn !  For 
in  our  Lutheran  hymns  the  text  and  the  tune  are  welded  as  in- 
separably together  as  body  and  soul  in  man.  The  reason  is 
that  one  and  the  same  spirit  of  holy  devotion  gave  birth  to  the 
texts  as  well  as  the  chorals,  or  tunes,  of  our  Lutheran  hymn- 
ology.  Broadly  speaking  then,  our  Lutheran  chorals  are  pre- 
eminently  devotional   in  character. 

It  is  different  with  the  hymns  and  tunes  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  That  was  the  time  of  decaying  orthodoxy,  and  it 
witnessed  the  rise  of  Pietism  in  Germany  and  of  Methodism  in 
England.  Speaking  of  English  tunes  in  particular,  it  is  a 
well-known  fact  that  the  Reformed  Churches  of  Great  Britain 
at  first  possessed  no  chorals  of  their  own.  Some  of  them  (e. 
g.,  the  Episcopal  Church)  originally  borrowed  their  sacred 
tunes  and  even  many  hymns  from  the  Lutheran  Church  of  Ger- 
many. Others  (e.  g.,  the  Presbyterians)  contented  themselves 
with  chanting  the  Psalms  of  the  Bible.  They  declared  all 
"man-made"  tunes  and  hymns  to  be  inventions  of  the  devil. 
When,  however,  Methodism  swept  over  the  British  Islands,  it 
produced  the  two  greatest  hymn-writers  of  the  English-speak- 
ing world,  Isaac  Watts  (1674—1748)  and  Charles  Wesley  (1708 
— 1788).  They  were  followed  by  other  hymn- writers,  both  in 
England  and  America,  whose  songs  have  been  set  to  original 
tunes  But  what  is  their  character?  Like  the  emotional  spirit 
that   fostered   them,   they  are,   with   a   few   classical   exceptions, 


420  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

shallow,  insipid,  and  lacking  in  that  deep  reverence  of  feeling, 
that  solemn  harmony  of  tone  which  characterizes  our  old  Lu- 
theran chorals.  It  is  true,  they  call  themselves  Gospel-hymns, 
but  upon  closer  inspection  you  will  find  that  very  many  of  them 
contain  very  little  Gospel  and  much  less  of  true  choral  music. 
Many  of  them  are  unevangelical  in  text,  urging  and  exhorting 
the  sinner  to  consecrate  himself  to  God  by  his  own  powers. 
Others  are  so  silly  and  meaningless  that  sincere  Christians  in 
these  churches,  among  them  President  Woodrow  Wilson,  have 
publicly  protested  against  their  further  use.  In  their  musical 
setting,  particularly,  these  sensational  Gospel-hymns  are  but 
little  removed  from  the  degenerate  and  discordant  "rag-time" 
tunes  with  which  the  Salvation  Army  fills  the  streets  of  our 
large  cities  at  night.  How  much  these  decadent  church-tunes 
of  a  more  recent  date  have  served  to  vitiate  the  popular  taste 
for  sacred  music  needs  no  further  comment. 

We  know  that  these  old  Lutheran  hymns  and  tunes  are  not 
popular  with  the  English-speaking  people.  But  how  can  they 
be?  Our  English  populace  does  not  know  them  and  therefore 
has  still  to  learn  them.  And  they  can  be  learned  by  English 
people  just  as  readily  as  they  are  learned  by  German  or  Nor- 
wegian folks.  For  the  last  ten  years  we  are  conducting  a  mis- 
sion school  in  the  tenement  district  of  St.  Louis,  and  we  invite 
everybody  and  anybody  to  convince  himself  if  our  old  Lutheran 
tunes  cannot  be  learned  by  children  of  almost  every  nation  under 
the  sun !  Again  we  can  point  to  the  negroes  in  our  Colored 
Mission,  who  are  originally  neither  German  nor  Norwegian, 
and  who  sing  our  Lutheran  hymns  with  a  vim  as  though  they 
had  learned  them  at  their  mother's  breast.  We  know  it  takes 
time  and  patience  to  teach  our  rising  English-speaking  genera- 
tions these  noble  hymns,  but  the  joy  at  hearing  our  English 
youths  finally  singing  the  grand  old  hymns  of  the  Reforma- 
tion and  glorifying  their  God  and  Redeemer  in  them  richly  re- 
pays you  for  all  the  trouble.  When  we  hear  of  a  Lutheran  pas- 
tor who  studiously  avoids  giving  out  our  historic  hymns  and 
chorals  in  public  worship,  we  cannot  help  thinking  that  he  is 
either  very  vain  and  chasing  after  cheap  popularity,  or  that 
he  is  very  ignorant  concerning  the  nature  of  true  church-music. 
or  that  he  is  reprehensibly  indolent  and  shirks  the  labor  of 
teaching  these   grand   tunes   to   his   people.     We   hold    it   to  be 


The   Church   Book  or   Hymnal  421 

one  of  missionary  duties  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  America 
to  acquaint  the  American  public  not  only  with  the  saving  doc- 
trine of  our  Church,  but  also  with  its  sacred  hymnology.  If  we 
Lutherans  fail  to  do  this,  if  we  prefer  the  light,  emotional 
operatic  tunes  of  the  present  day  to  the  devout,  edifying  tunes 
of  our  fathers,  and  thus  suffer  our  historic  hymns  with  their 
chorals  to  be  forgotten,  we  are  depriving  our  own  posterity  of 
the  sweetest  choral  music  this  side  of  heaven.  Therefore : 
"Lutheran  Tunes  for  Lutheran  Congregational  Singing!"" 

A  factor  of  intelligent  singing,  additional  to  the  im- 
pressive reading  of  the  hymn,  is  a  brief  explanation, 
not  one,  however,  which  explains  away  the  poetic  per- 
fume. The  setting  forth  of  the  main  thoughts ;  the  dis- 
play of  the  historic  situation  from  which  it  took  its 
rise;  the  realization  of  the  mood  from  which  it  flowed, — 
these  are  measures  that  will  accomplish  the  purpose. 
Some  of  the  hymns,  either  in  some  of  their  stanzas  or 
as  a  whole,  will  spontaneously  fit  in  with  certain  other 
elements  of  religious  instruction,  especially  with  Biblical 
History  and  instruction  in  the  Catechism,  so  that  from 
such  connection  the  necessary  light  is  cast  upon  them. 
For  instance,  in  connection  with  the  First  Article,  hymns 
such  as  these  would  be  apposite :  ''Now  thank  we  all 
our  God" ;  "Praise  to  the  Lord,  the  Almighty,  the  King 
of  creation" ;  "All  nations  that  on  earth  do  dwell" ;  "O 
would,  my  God,  that  I  could  praise  Thee"  ;  "I  sing  to 
Thee  with  voice  and  heart" ;  "My  soul,  now  bless  thy 
Maker"  ;  "If  thou  but  suffer  God  to  guide  thee"  ;  in  con- 
nection with  the  Second  Article :  "All  hail  the  pow'r 
of  Jesus'  name";  "Jesus,  Jesus,  only  Jesus";  "With  all 
my  heart  I  love  Thee,  Lord";  "My  dear  Jesus  I'll  not 
leave";  "O  pow'r  of  love,  all  else  transcending";  "Jesus, 
Thy  blood  and  righteousness" ;  "Jesus,  priceless  trea- 
sure" ;  in  connection  with  Abraham's  calling :  "Thy 
way  and  all  thv  sorrows"  ;  in  connection  with  the  historv 


422  Tiie  Material  for  Religious  instruction 

of  Christ's  passion:  "O  holy  Jesus,  how  hast  Thou 
offended" ;  "Christ,  the  Life  of  all  the  living" ;  "O  sacred 
Head  now  wounded" ;  "Five  wells  I  know",  etc. ;  com- 
pare also  the  following  chapter.  Finally,  a  number 
of  hymns  should  be  committed  to  memory,  which  re- 
quire a  careful  explanation,  however,  or  else  there  will 
be  confusion  worse  confounded.  Such  hymns  should  be 
the  very  flowers  of  the  Church  Book. 

The  following  are  qualified  to  serve  the  purpose :  "Abide 
in  grace.  Lord  Jesus";  "My  life  is  hid  in  Jesus";  "Thy  way 
and  all  thy  sorrows";  "If  thou  but  suffer  God  to  guide  thee"; 
"Now  thank  we  all  our  God";  "Praise  to  the  Lord,  the  Al- 
mighty" ;  "Good  news  from  heav'n  the  angels  bring" ;  "All 
praise  to  Jesus'  hallowed  name";  "Praise  God  the  Lord,  ye  sons 
of  men" ;  "Lamb  of  God  most  holy" ;  "O  Sacred  Head,  now 
wounded";  "Five  wells  I  know";  "Jesus  lives;  no  longer  now"; 
"I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth";  "O  Holy  Spirit,  enter  in"; 
"O  enter,  Lord,  Thy  temple" ;  "Who  knows  how  near  my  life's 
expended" ;  "Why,  my  soul,  thus  trembling  ever" ;  "God,  who 
madest  earth  and  heaven" ;  "Now  rest  beneath  night's  shadows" ; 
"My  dear  Jesus,  I'll  not  leave";  "Jesus,  still  lead  on";  "Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  I'm  baptized  in  Thy  dear  name";  "A 
mighty  fortress  is  our  God";  "Take  Thou  my  hand,  O  Father"; 
"Jesus,  Lover  of  my  soul";  "Rock  of  Ages,  cleft  for  me";  "Just 
as  I  am,  without  one  plea";  "My  faith  looks  up  to  Thee"; 
"Rest  of  the  weary";  "The  Lord  my  faithful  Shepherd  is"; 
"The  Church's  one  foundation".    Compare  chapter  31. 

In  a  good  Hymnal  are  to  be  found  also  the  most 
important  parts  of  the  liturgy.  The  first  task  in  this  con- 
nection will  be  the  introduction  of  the  children  to  the 
meaning  and  development  of  the  main  Sunday  and  sac- 
ramental service.  Let  the  teacher  make  clear  to  the 
pupils  that  whatever  we  here  deal  with  are  things  sacred 
through  use  for  purposes  of  worship  for  over  fifteen 
centuries ;  that  here  the  adoration  of  God  is  the  object 
in  view  and  a  joining  of  the  throng  of  suppliants   of 


Secondary  Material  for  Instruction  423 

every  time  and  clime !  Let  him  make  clear  everything 
that  requires  elucidation,  carefully  practise  the  musical 
parts,  arouse  enthusiasm  for  the  participation  of  all 
members  of  the  congregation  in  the  divine  service,  and 
especially  in  the  liturgical  part,  m  contrast  to  Rome, 
which  condemns  its  laity  to  silence !  How  should  an 
active  and  spontaneous  participation  in  these  things  be 
later  possible,  if  there  has  never  been  any  introduction 
to  them?  From  the  sacramental  service  it  is  easy  to  go 
back  to  Confession  and  its  liturgical  setting.  Especially 
the  instruction  of  the  catechumens  with  its  pastoral 
character  affords  occasion  to  cast  the  necessary  light 
on  these  acts,  to  discuss  the  salutary  character  of  Con- 
fession and  the  custom  of  announcement  for  Communion, 
the  principles  of  Lutheran  worship,  of  Lutheran  prac- 
tise, and  of  Lutheran  usage  in  general.  The  develop- 
ment of  Lutheran  customs  and  churchly  usage  is  of 
so  much  more  importance  in  this  country,  as  the  old  tra- 
ditions of  the  home  Church,  in  part  for  good  reasons, 
have  fallen  into  disuse;  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
churchly  usage  is  not  only  a  protecting  barrier  for  many 
but  also  a  feature  of  healthy  life  in  general.  Among 
the  remaining  liturgical  acts  the  baptismal  ceremony 
requires  special  attention,  if  the  young  at  a  later  day,  in 
connection  with  the  duties  of  sponsorship,  are  to  take 
an  intelligent  part  in  it.  If,  in  connection  with  instruc- 
tion on  Baptism  or  Confirmation,  light  is  cast  'upon  the 
function  of  sponsorship  with  its  duties  and  privileges, 
it  may  be  possible  once  more  to  infuse  life  into  this  old 
institution. 

29.     Secondary  Material  for  Instruction. 

A.    Eckert    (pp.   49;    164—175),    1899.— J.    H.   Schueren    (pp. 
97—104),    «1900.— O.    Baumgarten    (pp.    78;    82;    85—107),    1903. 


424  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

—J.  Gottschick  (pp.  159—162),  1908.— J.  Berndt  (pp.  56—57;  96). 
1909.— A.  Rude  (pp.  84—90),  1912. — A.  and  F.  Falcke,  Kirchen- 
geschichte; Praeparatiönen,  1902. — K.  Just,  Kirchengeschichtl. 
Unterricht,  1903.— K.  Just,  Kirchengeschichtl.  Lesebuch,  1903.— 
P  .Speer,  Wie  in  unsern  Schulen  die  Kirchengeschichte  behan- 
delt werden  sollte,  1903. — E.  Heyn,  Kirchengeschichte  (Reukauf 
u.  Heyn,  Ev.  Religionsbuch  10.  2),  1907. — Reukauf  and  Heyn, 
Kirchengeschichtliches  Lesebuch,  1907. — Thraendorf  and  Meltz- 
er,  Kirchengeschichtl.  Lesebuch.  1907. — H.  Meltzer,  Skizzen  z. 
Behandlung  d.  Kirchengeschichte,  1909. — F.  Zange,  Kirchenge- 
schichtl. Lesebuch.  1913.— Ch.  F.  Kent  and  H.  B.  Hunting,  Wit- 
nesses for  Christ,  1913. — H.  W.  Gates,  Heroes  of  the  Faith, 
1913. — H.  K.  Rowe,  Landmarks  in  Christian  History,  1914. — 
G.  H.  Trabert,  Church  History  for  the  People. — M.  Reu,  Life  of 
Luther  sketched  for  Young  People's  Societies  and  the  neces- 
sary Directions  for  General  Discussion  appended,  1917. — C.  P. 
Harry,  Protest  and  Progress  in  the  16th  Century,  1917. — A.  T. 
W.  Steinhaeuser,  Luther  Primer,  1917. — K.  Heilmann,  Der 
Missionsunterricht  nach  Theorie  und  Praxis,  1895. — M.  Henning, 
Taten  Jesu  in  unsern  Tagen,  1906. — Hemprich,  Die  Mission  i.  d. 
Erziehungsschule,  1909. — G.  Warneck,  Die  Mission  i.  d.  Schule, 
141911.— Th.  Schaefer,  Die  Innere  Mission  i.  d.  Schule,  71912.— 
M.  Hennig,  Quellenbuch  d.  Inneren  Mission,  1912. — Fred.  Beard, 
Graded  Missionary  Education  in  the  Church  School. — J.  F.  Ohl, 
The  Inner  Mission.— E.  Pfeiffer,  Mission  Studies,  21912.— L.  B. 
Wolf,  Missionary  Heroes  of  the  Lutheran  Church. — I.  Boone, 
The  Conquering  Christ,  1914. — Ph.  A.  Nordell,  The  Modern 
Church,  1914. — E.  Singmaster,  The  Story  of  Lutheran  Missions, 
1917. — O.  Koenig,  Die  Mission  i.  Katechismusunterricht,  1913. — 
J.  Richter,  Die  evangelischen  Missionen  (Illustr.  Familienblatt). 
—J.  and  P.  Richter,  Saat  u.  Ernte  (Illustr.  Blaetter  f.  d. 
Jugend). —  O.   Fries,   Geschichten   und   Bilder  aus   der  Mission. 

Much  of  what  has  been  said. in  connection  with  the 
Church  Book  constitutes  material  of  secondary  impor- 
tance. This  is  altogether  true  of  instruction  in  Church 
History  and  the  labors  of  the  Church,  and,  most  particu- 
larly, of  instruction  in  regard  to  the  constitution  of  the 
Church. — The  conviction  that  Church  History  supplies 


Secondary  Material  for   Instruction  425 

suitable  material  for  the  instruction  of  our  adolescent 
youth  has  been  gaining  ground.  Of  course,  there  is 
not  room  in  such  instruction  for  details,  no  need  of  stres- 
sing periods  and  dates.  What  is  of  importance  is  to 
picture  the  main  epochs,  and  the  men  who  have  been 
intsruments  of  God  in  a  superlative  degree ;  above  all,  to 
describe  the  origin  of  the  Church  of  one's  own  confes- 
sion ;  to  exhibit  the  sacrifices,  and  courage  of  the  fathers 
as  a  type  for  all  times.  What  is  most  important  of  all  is 
vividly  to  impress  upon  the  young  that  Christ  lives  and 
reigns ;  that  He  has  in  His  hands  the  threads  of  history, 
both  of  the  Church  and  the  world ;  that  He  will  not  per- 
mit His  Church  ever  to  go  down  in  total  darkness,  but 
that  He  will  guide  her  deeper  and  deeper  into  all  truth 
through  His  Word;  that  He  leads  His  disciples,  in  con- 
formity to  His  own  course,  through  grief  and  suffering, 
not  to  final  ruin,  indeed,  but  to  eternal  glory.  Instruc- 
tion rightly  begun,  and  with  special  emphasis  laid  upon 
the  biographical  element,  Church  History  constitutes  ma- 
terial decidedly  productive  of  sympathetic,  ethical,  and 
religious  interest,  and  for  that  reason  is  a  great  help  in 
the  attainment  of  the  aim  of  religious  instruction. 

In  point  of  content,  such  instruction  readily  joins  itself 
to  that  of  Biblical  History,  for  the  Church  was  founded  through 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  Jews  and  Gentiles  related  in 
Biblical  History.  Subjects  to  be  pictured  are  the  spread  of  the 
Church  and  the  persecution  of  Christians.  The  latter  especially 
lends  itself  to  detailed  presentation,  with  individual  pictures 
as. object  lessons.  It  is  the  history  of  the  persecution  of  the 
Christian  Church  that  brings  out  the  power  of  faith  to  conquer 
the  world;  and,  at  this  day,  it  is  able  to  arouse  longing  for 
a  like  faith.  With  the  rise  of  Constantine,  Christ  celebrates 
His  victory.  Then  the  inner  conflicts  begin,  in  the  throes  of 
which  the  confessions  of  the  Church  are  born.  Rise  of  monas- 
ticism.     Rise   of  the   papacy.     Retribution   of   God   through   the 


426  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

Saracens  upon  the  lukewarm  Church  of  Asia,  Africa,  and, 
in  part,  of  Spain.  The  Church  among  the  German  tribes  and 
Charlemagne.  Night  in  the  Church,  illumined  by  a  few  stars. 
The  Holy  Spirit  seems  to  have  ceased  His  activity.  Jesus  has 
stepped  into  the  background  as  Savior,  Mary  and  the  Saints 
having  replaced  Him;  instead  of  Christ,  the  pope  appears  to 
hold  the  sceptre;  and  steadily  the  features  he  exhibits  become 
more  like  those  of  the  Anti-Christ.  But  Christ  lives.  In  men 
like  Wiclif  and  Hus,  He  makes  the  dawn  to  rise,  with  sunrise 
in  store  through  the  Reformation.  The  Spirit  unfolds  His 
power;  the  old  promises  of  a  Church  to  endure  through  the 
ages  are  still  valid.  Luther's  life.  Augsburg  Confession.  The 
Catechism;  divine  services  in  the  vernacular;  the  hymn.  Lu- 
theran Church,  Reformed  Church,  Catholic  Church;  main  points 
of  difference.  But  hard  conflicts  are  to  follow.  Thirty-years' 
War.  Paul  Gerhardt.  A.  H.  Francke.  Era  of  Rationalism. 
But  the  Holy  Spirit  is  mightier  than  the  spirit  of  man,  and  the 
Church  is  renewed  in  faith.  Not  everything  indeed  is  true 
faith  which  claims  to  be  such;  sectarianism  and  fanaticism  ga- 
lore are  in  evidence.  Now  fidelity  toward  the  confession  of 
the  fathers  is  in  request.  God's  Word  and  Luther's  doctrine 
pure  Shall  to  eternity  endure.  Fidelity  needed  especially  in  our 
land  in  which,  through  Muhlenberg,  the  Lutheran  Church  was 
founded.  The  Church  which  does  not  aim  at  outward  splendor 
but  clings  to  the  Word  in  faith,  is  blessed  by  Christ;  hers 
is  the  final  victory. 

These  hints  may  serve  as  a  meager  outline  for  a 
course  in  Church  History,  so  far  as  the  young  have  the 
right  to  look  to  the  Church  for  information  on  the  sub- 
ject. The  whole  is  to  be  pervaded  by  the  principle :  in- 
struction for  the  purpose  of  training.  For  this  reason 
it  should  indeed  always  be  interesting,  but  never  should 
it  be  sensational.  As  required  by  the  principle  of  con- 
centration, instruction  in  Church  History  should  be 
joined  to  religious  instruction  in  general,  to  the  hymn 
especially.  If  the  heroic  faith  of  the  martyrs  has  been 
the  topic  for  discussion,  the  hymn  is  appropriate :    "On- 


Secondary  Material  for  Instruction  427 

ward,  Christian  soldiers !"  If  we  have  seen  the  fathers 
confess  their  faith  at  Nicea,  the  pupils  may  be  directed 
to  sing:  "We  all  believe  in  one  true  God".  If  the  class 
has  dwelt  among  the  Waldenses,  the  hymn  will  prove 
appropriate :  "Thou  little  flock,  be  not  afraid".  When 
the  pupils  surround  in  thought  the  stake  at  which  Hus 
is  burning,  let  the  hymn  be  sung:  "Wake,  spirit,  who 
in  times  now  olden".  When  the  story  of  the  Reforma- 
tion flashes  the  castle  church  of  Wittenberg  into  view, 
let  the  hymn  be  sounded:  "Dear  Christians,  one  and  all 
rejoice".  The  diets  of  Worms  and  Augsburg  will  call 
for  their  share  of  interest.  Let  it  be  signalled  by  calling 
for  the  battle  hymn  of  the  Reformation:  "A  mighty 
fortress  is  our  God".  The  story  of  Paul  Gerhardt  sug- 
gests the  hymn:  "Thy  way  and  all  thy  sorrows". 
Other  hymns  will  suggest  themselves  through  the  occa- 
sion. Our  "Explanation  of  Luther's  Catechism"  con- 
tains a  few  of  the  more  salient  features  of  Church  His- 
tory (pp.  150 — 160),  which,  indeed  are  merely  intended 
to  serve  as  basis  for  a  more  detailed  presentation  to 
be  given  later.     Cp.  J.  H.  Schueren,  p.  107  f. 

In  introducing  the  young  to  the  labors  of  the 
Church,  Foreign  and  Inner  Missions  are  the  subjects 
that  serve  this  purpose  best.  How  much  can  be  accom- 
plished for  the  cause  of  Missions  by  arousing  enthusiasm 
for  them  in  the  young,  has  been  shown  pre-eminently  by 
Herrnhut.  The  object  must  be  to  exhibit  the  desolation 
of  the  Christ-less  world  through  pictures  from  life,  and 
then  to  recite  the  successes  due  to  the  grace  of  God. 
Among  the  several  spheres  of  Inner  Missions,  it  is  es- 
pecially the  Home  Mission,  the  deaconess  cause,  and  sim- 
ilar works  of  mercy  which  require  attention.  An  effec- 
tive method  would  be  to  picture  the  lives  of  men  who 


428  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

have  accomplished  something  extraordinary  in  those 
spheres ;  e.  g.,  the  life  of  Harms  in  the  sphere  of  Foreign 
Missions,  that  of  Fliedner  or  Loehe  in  the  sphere  of  the 
deaconess  cause ;  that  of  A.  H.  Francke,  or  Wichern, 
or  G.  Mueller  in  the  sphere  of  the  orphan  cause :  or 
the  young  may  be  led  in  spirit  into  a  deaconess  home, 
orphan  home,  etc.  Hennig's  "Taten  Jesu  in  unsern  Ta- 
gen", Ohl's  "Inner  Mission",  etc.,  can  be  of  service  in 
addition  to  the  main  factor,  personal  acquaintance.  The 
labors  of  one's  own  Church  ought  always  to  occupy  the 
foreground ;  and  here  again  those  of  the  particular  body 
with  which  one  is  affiliated,  not  merely  because  the  bre- 
thren in  the  faith  are  first  entitled  to  sympathy  (Gal.  6, 
10),  and  because  confederation  with  other  Churches  does 
not  bring  permanent  blessing,  but  especially  because  the 
members  of  a  communion  should  become  so  thoroughly 
identified  with  some  specific  task  that  they  are  able  to 
say :  "This  is  our  work".  Not  until  then  will  the 
proper  efforts  and  petitions  in  its  behalf  be  possible. 

So  far  as  the  constitution  of  the  Church  is  con- 
cerned, what  is  necessary  in  that  connection,  at  least  in 
regard  to  that  of  the  synod  of  one's  own  affiliation,  can 
easily  be  supplied  when  its  history  is  taught.  For  a 
discussion  of  the  government  of  the  local  congregation, 
its  constitution  will  supply  an  adequate  basis. 

30.     The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church. 

K.  Buchrucker,  pp.  66—115.  1889.— F.  Zange,  pp.  14—27, 
1897.— O.  Baumgarten,  pp.  50—85,  1903.— J.  Berndt,  pp.  29—33. 
19C9.— R.  Kabisch,  pp.  6—15,  1910.— E.  Chr.  Achelis,  pp.  338—343, 
1911. — H.  Keferstein,  Religionsunterricht  u.  Erziehg.  zur  Reli- 
gion. 1892.— F.  Adler,  The  Moral  Instruction  of  Children.  1892. 
—J.  MacCann,  The  Making  of  Character,  1900.— Ch.  W.  Rishell, 
The  Child  as  God's  Child,  1904.— G.  N.  Coe,  Education  in  Re- 
ligion   and   Morals,    1904. — G.   E.    Dawson,   The   Child   and   His 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  429 

Religion,  1909.— E.  P.  St.  John,  Child  Nature  and  Child  Nurture, 
1911. — G.  Hodges,  The  Training  of  Children  in  Religion,  1911. 
— Ch.  H.  Heathcote,  Elements  of  Religious  Education,  1914. — 
H.  Sneath,  G.  Hodges,  and  H.  H.  Tweedy,  Religious  Training 
in  the  School  and  Home,  1917.— On  Home  Education:  K.  Loewe, 
Wie  erziehen  und  belehren  wir  unsere  Kinder  waehrend  der 
Schuljahre,  1899. — K.  Loewe,  Wie  erziehe  und  belehre  ich  mein 
Kind  bis  zum  sechsten  Lebensjahre,  21904. — A.  Matthias,  Wie 
erziehen  wir  unseren  Sohn  Benjamin,  °1907. — R.  Kabisch,  Das 
neue  Geschlecht,  1913.— E.  Lyttleton,  The  Cornerstone  of  Educa- 
tion, 1914.— On  Parochial  Schools  comp.  ch.  20. — On  Sunday 
Schools  comp.  ch.  20,  and  add  :  R.  Emiein,  Der  Kindergottes- 
dienst, 1914.— J.  Steinbeck,  pp.  224—238,  1914.— P.  Zanleck,  The- 
orie und  Praxis  des  Kindergottesdienstes  in  Vortraegen,  1914. — 
Ch.  S.  Albert,  The  School  and  the  Church.— A.  H.  Smith,  The 
Lutheran  Church  and  Child  Nurture.— On  Instruction  of  Cate- 
chumens: R.  A.  Kohlrausch,  Der  Konfirmandenunterricht, 
1898. — E.  Simons,  Konfirmation  und  Konfirmandenunterricht. 
1900. — E.  Chr.  Achelis,  Die  Bestrebungen  zur  Reform  der  Kon- 
firmationspraxis und  des  Konfirmandenunterrichts  (Theologi- 
sche Rundschau),  1901.— Freie  kirchlich-soziale  Konferenz,  num- 
ber 15  and  16,  1901. — M.  Gebhardt,  Moderner  Religions-  und 
Konfirmandenunterricht,  1906.— W.  Bornemann,  Der  Konfirman- 
denunterricht u.  der  Religionsunterricht  in  der  Schule  in  ihrem 
gegenseitigen  Verhaeltnis,  1907.— O.  Hardeland,  52  Konfirman- 
denstunden, 41910.— R.  Steinmetz,  Die  Bereitung  zur  Konfirma- 
tion in  Lehre  und  Leitung,  1910.— O.  Lorenz,  Der  Konfirman- 
denunterricht, -'1911.— K.  Vogel,  Seelsorgerlicher  Kinfirmanden- 
unterricht,  1911.— J.  Steinbeck,  Der  Konfirmandenunterricht 
nach  Stoffwahl,  Charakter  und  Aufbau,  21913.— On  Instruction 
of  the  Confirmed:  H.  Beck,  Die  kirchliche  Katechisation,  1905. 
— E.  Siedel,  Lebensphilosophie  fuer  Juenglinge,  '1896.— Mielke, 
Die  religioese  Fortbildung  *der  schulentlassenen  Jugend.  1908. 
— E.  Siedel,  Der  Weg  zur  ewigen  Jugend,  -1909.— E.  Siedel, 
Der  Weg  zur  ewigen  Schoenheit,  211911.— A.  Luettke,  Unter- 
redungen mit  der  konfirmierten  Jugend,  21912. — M.  Reu,  Die 
Nachpflege  der  Konfiermierten  (Kirchliche  Zeitschrift),  1912. 
— K.  Knoke,  Recht  und  Pflicht  der  Kirche  hinsichtlich  der 
Unterweisung  der  konfirmierten  Jugend,  1912. — J.  Schaller, 
The   Book   of   Books,    1918.— M.   Reu,   Wartburg   Lesson   Helps. 


430  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

Senior  Department,  1918. — On  Young  People  Societies:  Schwan- 
beck, Die  Juenglings-  und  Jugendvereine,  1890. — K.  Krumma- 
cher, Die  evangelischen  Jugendvereine  und  verwandte  Bestre- 
bungen, 21895. — P.  Wurster,  Die  Lehre  von  der  Inneren  Mis- 
sion (pp.  380  ff.),  1895. — G.  Hoezel,  Die  kirchliche  Vereinsarbeit, 
1906.— U.  von  Hassel,  Wer  traegt  die  Schuld?,  1907.— Hasse, 
Leitfaden  fuer  die  weibliche  Jugendpflege,  1910 — 1911. — H.  Wei- 
cker,  Der  Jugendverein,  1911. — J.  Schoell,  Evangelische  Ge- 
meindepflege, 1911. — J.  Eger,  Die  evangelische  Gemeinde  und 
ihre  Jugend,  1912. — J.  Eger  and  L.  Heitmann,  Die  Entwicklungs- 
jahre, 1912  ff. — Page,  Evangelische  Jugendpflege,  1914. — J.  Stein- 
beck, pp.  280 — 315,  1914. — E.  Pfenningsdorff,  Christus  im  mo- 
dernen Geistesleben,  141914. — Luther  League  Handbook. — Lu- 
ther League  Topics. — F.  G.  Detweiler,  Baptist  Young  People  at 
Work. —  W.  D.  Murray,  Principles  of  the  Organization  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  1910. — C.  A.  Barbour,  Prin- 
ciples and  Methods  of  Religious  Work  for  Men  and  Boys,  1912. 
— R.  C.  Morse,  History  of  the  North  American  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
1913. 

But  what  agencies  are  at  the  disposal  of  the  Church 
for  the  successful  exploitation  of  such  material  ? 

The  first  agency  for  this  purpose  is  the  Christian 
home.  Although  the  home  can  be  called  an  educa- 
tional agency  only  in  a  wider  sense;  its  significance  is 
of  greatest  moment  nevertheless.  Not  only  is  the  home 
a  constant  factor  in  the  educational  work  performed 
by  the  other  agencies,  but  its  own  distinctive  educational 
function  also  must  continue  after  those  of  the  other 
agencies  have  set  in.  In  the  home  the  foundation  is 
laid  for  the  training  of  the  cjiild ;  the  home,  likewise, 
must  be  the  faithful  custodian  of  that  which  is  imparted 
by  the  other  agencies  to  the  adolescent  youth.  The 
home,  accordingly,  has  its  indispensable  place  in  the 
group  of  educational  agencies  for  the  Church's  youth. 
He  who  has  at  heart  the  training  of  the  young  will  not 
give  least  consideration  to  the  home,  whence  the  Church 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  431 

derives  the  material  to  be  molded.  He  will  rather  arouse 
in  the  home  an  understanding  for  the  true  interests  of 
the  adolescent  youth ;  he  will  remind  it  of  its  duty — 
doubly  sacred  by  reason  of  infant  Baptism,  of  rearing 
the  young  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord; 
he  will  invite  it  to  co-operation  with  himself,  and  come 
to  its  aid  with  practical  suggestions  and  counsel. 

McCunn  does  not  exaggerate  when  he  says  in  the  "Making 
of  Character"  (pp.  84 — 86)  :  "the  vital  matter  in  moral  and  re- 
ligious education  is  the  home  as  it  normally  is  in  its  habitual 
preferences,  its  predominant  interests,  its  settled  estimates  of 
persons  and  pursuits,  its  ordinary  circle  of  associates,  its 
standard  of  living,  its  accepted  ideals  of  work  and  of  amuse- 
ment. For  it  is  not  only  from  the  family  but  with  the  family 
eyes,  that  we  all  begin  to  look  out  upon  the  world.  And  if 
this  first  outlook  is  to  see  things  for  which  men  live  in  some- 
thing like  their  true  perspective,  and  not  as  distorted  through 
the  deluding  medium  of  the  home  that  is  idle,  frivolous,  sordid, 
grasping,  quarrelsome,  or  sentimental,  this  will  be  due  far  less 
to  what  is  done  of  express  educational  design,  far  more  to  the 
ideal  of  life  which  the  family  consistently  embodies.  For  it  is 
only  thus  that  the  scale  of  moral  valuation  -which  the  family  has 
wrought  into  its  life,  will  be  likely,  as  the  years  go  round,  to 
reflect  itself  in  the  habitual  feelings,  estimates,  and  activities 
of  its  members.  This  kind  of  influence  is,  moreover,  peculiarly 
effective  because  it  is  made  easier  by  the  tie  of  natural  affec- 
tion. Without  this,  and  the  trustful  confidence  which  goes 
with  it,  comparatively  little  can  be  done.  And  many  a  parent 
in  whom  the  qualities  which  win  it  have  been  lacking,  even 
though  he  may  have  been  masterful  and  reasonable,  has  been 
compelled  to  realize  his  impotence.  Yet,  normally,  the  parent 
has  a  manifest  advantage.  That  confidence  which  a  stranger 
has  to  gain  with  difficulty,  he  finds  either  ready  to  hand,  or  at 
most  less  hard  to  win.  This  is  double  gain.  It  prompts  a  spon- 
taneous trustfulness  which  opens  the  way  for  influence,  and, 
as  lesser  adjunct,  it  invests  a  father's  or  a  mother's  disappro- 
bation with  a  power  to  restrain  and  chasten  such  as  cannot  be 
found  when  love  and  trust  are  absent.    In  this  the  family  is  pre- 


432  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

eminent.  No  teacher,  however  kindly,  no  public  authority, 
however  paternal  and  mild,  can  rival  it  here.  And  if  this  be 
lost,  whether  by  aloofness  of  parents,  or  wreck  of  family  life, 
or  by  decay  of  the  family  as  an  institution,  one  of  the  purest 
springs  of  moral  influence  will  be  frozen  at  its  source". 

Since  it  is  the  Church  of  God  into  which  the  mature 
as  well  as  the  immature  youth  has  been  grafted  since 
Holy  Baptism,  she  merely  takes  care  of  her  own  when 
she  equips  the  home  for  constant  co-operation  in  the 
work  of  child-training  entrusted  to  it,  and  never  permits 
her  counsels  to  be  silenced.  If  the  home  is  not  commit- 
ted to  this  task,  it  cannot  expect  from  the  Church  the 
privilege  of  Baptism  for  its  children.  But  where  the 
home  is  willing  to  perform  its  duty,  but,  for  one  reason 
or  another,  incapable  of  functioning  as  an  educator,  the 
Church  must  not  only  see  to  a  better  equipment  of  the 
home  but  also  secure  for  it  teaching  adjuncts.  In  the  es- 
tablishment of  infant  schools  managed  by  some  vener- 
able matron  or  deaconess  and  quite  different  from  the 
infant  schools  according  to  Froebel's  plan  by  reason  of 
the  Christian  spirit  pervading  them ;  also  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  infant  classes  in  Sunday  school,  the  Church 
has  made  at  least  a  beginning  in  this  direction. 

An  educational  agency  additional  to  the  home  is 
the  divine  service,  however  true  it  is  that  this  is  far  more 
than  a  mere  educational  factor.  Although  it  is  the 
exception  when  children  understand  the  sermon  as  a 
whole,  they  do  understand  many  a  section  of  it.  With 
the  sight  of  the  worshiping  congregation,  with  the 
liturgy,  the  power  of  song,  the  lesson  conveyed  by 
some  striking  picture  here  and  there,  it  cannot  be  denied 
that  the  Church's  worship  is  a  powerful  educational  fac- 
tor in  the  life  of  the  child.  While  there  are  biographies 
in  which  no  wholesome  effect  is  predicated  of  the  at- 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  433 

tendance  upon  worship,  there  are  others  in  which  the 
contrary  is  asserted  and  permanent  impressions  are 
traced  to  the  factor  here  stressed. 

Rightly  says  Hodges  in  the  chapter  treating  of  "Sunday  and 
the  Children"  ("The  Training  of  Children  in  Religion",  pp. 
266  ff.)  :  "On  Sunday  morning  the  children  are  to  be  taken 
to  church.  It  is  true  that  there  is  the  peril  of  having  the 
children  disturb  the  service,  and  annoy  the  congregation;  and 
there  is  also  the  peril  of  making  the  children  hate  the  service. 
But  if,  in  avoiding  these  dangers,  the  children  are  left  at  home, 
or  are  encouraged  to  consider  the  Sunday  school  a  substitute 
for  the  church,  there  is  a  possibility  that  they  never  begin  to 
go.  Perhaps  the  best  thing  to  do,  in  the  midst  of  these  perplex- 
ities, is  to  keep  church-going  as  a  special  privilege  and  re- 
ward for  good  behavior  until  the  age  of  reasonably  steady 
habits.  Then  insist  on  attendance  at  church  like  attendance  at 
school  as  a  normal  part  of  decent  living  and  subject  to  pre- 
cisely the  same  excuses.  Commonly,  children  who  are  old 
enough  to  go  to  school  are  old  enough  to  go  to  church.  The 
two  introductions  to  a  wider  experience  may  properly  be  made 
at  the  same  period.  Then  nothing  should  be  allowed  to  keep 
the  child  from  church  which  would  not  validly  keep  him  from 
school.  Thus  the  habit  is  formed,  and  a  solid  contribution  is 
made  to  the  child's  religious  education.  Indeed  it  depends  much 
upon  the  character  of  the  church  service.  When  this,  besides 
the  sermon,  provides  responses  and  singing  in  which  the  chil- 
dren may  join,  then  such  a  service  is  varied,  with  downsitting 
and  uprising,  and  is  constructed  according  to  some  understand- 
ing of  human  nature,  the  common  nature  not  only  of  youth  but 
of  maturity.  Even  the  children  are  not  wearied. — If  a  choice 
must  be  made  between  the  church  and  the  Sunday  school,  on  the 
ground  that  the  two  together  are  too  long  and  wearisome,  a 
wise  preference  will  probably  select  the  church.  In  that  case, 
special  attention  will  need  to  be  given  to  the  instruction  of  the 
children  at  home.  One  of  the  unedifying  sights  of  our  Chris- 
tian Sunday  is  the  spectacle  of  troops  of  children,  dismissed 
from  the  church  school,  passing  the  church  door,  to  spend  the 
rest  of  the  day  idly.  It  is  a  prophecy  of  a  coming  generation 
of  non-churchgoers.     The   habit   of   churchgoing,    which   counts 


434  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

for  so  much  in  the  orderly  religious  life,  is  thus  omitted.  The 
boys  and  girls  do  not  begin  to  go  to  church.  Then,  when  they 
get  through  the  Sunday  school,  in  the  midst  of  their  teens,  they 
are  likely  to  turn  their  backs  upon  the  whole  system  of  organ- 
ized religion.  To  this  result,  such  training  leads.  Properly,  the 
Sunday  school  should  be  a  preparation  for  the  church.  The 
children  should  there  be  instructed  to  take  part  intelligently  in 
the  church  services.  They  should  learn  there  the  words  and 
music  of  the  hymns  which  the  congregation  sing.  There  is 
opportunity,  indeed,  among  the  younger  children  for  the  sing- 
ing of  hymns  which  set  forth  the  appropriate  emotions  of  early 
childhood.  But  the  older  children  are  to  learn  the  classic  poetry 
of  the  hymnal  just  as  they  learn  in  the  day  school  the  classic 
poetry  of  the  great  masters.  Some  of  it  will  far  exceed  their 
present  experience,  but  no  more  so  than  the  lines  of  Shake- 
speare and  Milton,  no  more  so  than  the  Psalms.  They  will 
get  enough  for  present  use,  and  will  store  up  treasure  for  the 
time  to  come.  And  in  the  church  they  will  be  able  to  take 
part  with  their  elders.  The  Sunday  school,  however,  is  not  a 
fair  substitute  for  the  church.  It  gives  but  little  time  to  the 
great  religious  exercise  of  worship,  and  it  makes  no  place  for 
the  sacramental  side  of  the  spiritual  life.  It  does  not  bring  the 
child  into  accord  with  the  ancient,  venerable,  and  universal  ex- 
pression of  corporate  devotion.  It  does  not  initiate  him  into 
that  society  in  which  he  should  have  his  membership  all  the 
rest  of  his  life.  It  does  not  put  him  where  he  ought  to  be, 
and  start  him  right. 

"We  probably  underestimate  both  the  endurance  and  the 
interest  of  children.  No  doubt,  our  forefathers  demanded  some- 
what too  much,  with  their  protracted  prayers  and  sermons  and 
their  two  Sunday  schools,  one  in  the  morning  and  the  other 
in  the  afternoon.  We  are  in  danger  of  going  into  extreme  of 
over-anxiety  as  to  the  children's  comfort.  They  seem  to  get 
along  pretty  well  with  a  good  measure  of  time  on  week  days 
at  their  schools.  What  is  asked  on  Sunday  is  after  all  not 
excessive.  The  Sunday  school  lasts  an  hour,  and  the  morning 
service  rarely  exceeds  an  hour  and  a  half  and  is  often  shorter 
than  that.  It  is  true  that  at  times  most  normal  children  rebel 
against  both  these  forms  of  confinement  in-doors.  The  best 
plan  is  to  deal  with  their  feeling  about  the  church  as  we  deal 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  435 

with  their  feelings  about  the  school.  We  make  them  go  to 
school,  whether  they  like  it  or  not.  Sometimes  they  hate  the 
school,  but  they  almost  always  come  into  the  right  mind  about 
it,  and  are  grateful  for  the  discipline.  They  may,  on  unusually 
pleasant  Sundays,  hate  the  church.  No  matter.  If  they  are 
easily  permitted  to  stay  at  home,  they  will  despise  it;  and  that 
is  worse.  A  little  wholesome  temporary  rebellion  is  better  than 
contempt." 

A  further  noteworthy  truth  is  found  in  what  the  same  author 
says  in  "Religious  Training  in  the  School  and  Home"  (pp. 
7  ff.)  :  "The  very  building  of  the  church  is  a  very  helpful  factor 
in  the  moral  and  religious  development  of  the  child.  .  .  The  dig- 
nity and  beauty  of  the  architecture,  the  loftiness  and  spacious- 
ness of  the  walls,  the  suggestion  of  pulpit  and  communion  table, 
of  font  and  altar,  all  beget  a  sense  of  solemnity  and  awe,  of 
wonderment  and  of  hushed  expectancy  that  awakens  and  de- 
velops the  moral  obedience  and  the  intelligent  worship  that  are 
to  be.  .  .  In  the  poorest  service  the  child  gets  something.  His 
spirit  is  bathed  in  the  awe  and  silenced  in  the  hush.  He  visions 
the  great  and  the  good — or  at  least  those  whom  he  believes  to 
be  the  great  and  the  good — bound  in  penitence,  standing  jubilant 
in  praise,  instructed  in  the  Being  infinitely  above  him  in  wisdom 
and  in  goodness  and  in  love.  All  this  is  educative.  Where 
the  minister  has  trained  himself  for  this  important  part  of 
his  task,  and  is  awake  to  the  little  faces  that  look  up  into  his 
own,  the  hour  becomes  a  memorable  one.  Many  a  restless  and 
apparently  thoughtless  member  of  the  junior  congregation 
grows  up  to  testify  to  the  power  which  was  exercised  over  him 
by  hymn  and  sermon,  little  as  they  seemed  to  do  for  him  at  the 
time." 

To  be  sure,  attendance  at  divine  service  alone  is  not 
enough.  If  religious  knowledge  is  to  be  something  more 
than  a  group  of  disjointed  fragments;  if  the  will  is  to  be 
habituated  to  that  which  is  good,  the  school  must  be 
drawn  into  service  as  an  educative  agency  additional 
to  home  and  divine  service.  We  do  not  think  in  this  con- 
nection of  the  public  school  of  our  country.  For  though 
the  attempt  has  been  made  again  and  again  to  turn  it  to 


436  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

account  in  the  moral  and  religious  education  of  the  adol- 
escent youth,  such  attempts  are  in  opposition  to  the  con- 
stitution of  our  country  and  to  the  character  of  the 
public  school  as  determined  by  it.  Whatever  religion 
is  tolerated  in  the  public  school  is  one  from  which  true 
religion's  very  heart  has  been  torn,  nor  has  it  ever 
proved  tenable  in  actual  experience. 

The  attempt  has  been  made  in  several  States  of  our  coun- 
try to  make  the  public  school  an  agency  for  a  training  truly 
moral.  While,  for  instance,  in  North  Carolina  the  teachers  are 
merely  requested  "to  encourage  morality",  West  Virginia  has 
gone  so  far  as  to  charge  "all  teachers,  boards  of  education,  and 
other  school  officers  with  the  duty  of  providing  that  moral 
training  for  the  youth  of  this  State  which  will  contribute 
to  securing  good  behavior  and  manners,  and  furnish  the  State 
with  exemplary  citizens".  So  far  as  religious  education  is  con- 
cerned, in  distinction  from  moral,  the  view  has  been  entertained 
in  some  States  to  render  it  possible,  at  least  in  an  elementary 
form,  by  introducing  the  reading  of  the  Bible  in  the  school. 
The  present  status  of  this  question  in  the  Union  is  as  follows  : 
In  Arizona.  California,  Illinois,  Minnesota,  Missouri,  Montana, 
New  York,  and  Washington,  the  reading  of  the  Bible  in  the 
public  school  has  been  officially  discountenanced,  but  not  wholly 
discontinued.  In  Nevada,  New  Mexico,  and  Wyoming,  there 
is  nothing  in  the  State  laws,  court  decisions,  or  official  opinions 
for  or  against  the  practise,  but  custom  is  against  it,  and  such 
reading  is  probably  very  rare.  In  Connecticut,  Delaware,  Flo- 
rida, Louisiana,  Maryland,  New  Hampshire,  Tennessee,  and 
Vermont,  Bible  reading  is  customary,  but  by  no  means  uni- 
versal. In  Arkansas,  Idaho,  North  Carolina,  Rhode  Island, 
Utah,  and  Virginia,  the  State  Superintendent  of  education  has 
given  a  favorable  opinion;  while  Supreme  Court  decisions  in 
Kentucky,  Maine,  Michigan,  Nebraska,  Ohio,  Oregon,  Texas. 
West  Virginia,  and  Wisconsin  have  favored  the  reading  of 
the  Bible  without  comment.  Specific  statutes  permit  the  prac- 
tise in  Alabama,  Georgia,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Oklahoma, 
Mississippi,  and  New  Jersey.  Only  South  Dakota  allows  Bible 
reading  with  unsectarian  comment.     In  Colorado,  Bible  reading 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  437 

is  not  customary,  but  credits  are  given  for  outside  Bible  study 
(cp.  p.  217).  The  only  States  in  which  Bible  reading  in  the 
public  schools  is  required  by  law,  are  Massachusetts,  since  1855, 
and  Pennsylvania,  since  1913.  In  Indiana  and  North  Dakota 
high  school  credits  are  given  for  the  study  of  the  Bible  as  lit- 
erature outside  of  school  hours.  New  York  City  furnishes  re- 
ligious teaching  without  charge  outside  of  school  hours  in  school 
buildings,  skilled  public  school  teachers,  supplementing  the  Bible 
reading  required  in  all  the  public  schools  by  instruction  in  the 
pupil's  own  faith.  Compare  Wilbur  F.  Crafts,  The  Bible  in 
School  Plans  of  Many  Lands,  and  "Report  of  the  Commission 
on  Christian  Education  to  the  Quadrennial  Meeting  of  the 
Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  America";  Saint 
Louis,    Mo.,    December,    1916. 

What  are  we  to  think  of  this?  In  order  to  substantiate  more 
fully  the  opinion  expressed  above,  we  shall  refer  purposely  to 
the  opinions  of  non-Lutheran  pedagogues.  Especially  note- 
worthy is  the  stand  taken  by  Charles  H.  Heathcote  in  his  book 
"The  Essentials  of  Religious  Education".  A  decided  advocate 
of  religious  education,  he  makes  the  following  characteristic 
statement  on  page  7 :  "In  theory,  religion  and  education  may 
be  separated  from  each  other,  but  in  reality  such  a  thought  is 
impossible.  The  aim  and  goal  of  education  and  religion  are  vir- 
tually the  same.  The  basis  of  true  education  is  religion,  and 
any  effort  to  make  education  independent  of  religion  narrows 
its  scope,  aim,  and  goal".  Notwithstanding  he  continues  :  "Ac- 
cording to  the  interpretation  of  our  constitution,  religion  cannot 
be  taught  in  our  public  schools.  .  .  We  recognize  the  importance 
of  reading  the  Bible  in  the  schools,  but  we  cannot  call  this 
exercise  religious  instruction,  nor  would  we  want  it  designated 
by  such  a  term.  When  this  reading  is  done  with  discrimina- 
tion and  without  comment  on  the  choice  and  splendid  portions 
of  Scriptures  which  should  always  be  read,  we  believe  great 
good  can  be  accomplished  in  many  ways.  This  reading  may  not 
be  instructive  in  the  analytic  sense,  but  the  mind  of  the  pupil 
is  impressed  with  the  beauty  and  simplicity  of  God's  Word. — 
There  are  many  educators  and  religionists  who  advocate  the 
study  of  religion  in  the  public  schools.  They  make  a  contradis- 
tinction between  religion  and  denominationalism.  They  advo- 
cate that  religious  instruction  based  on  broad  general  terms  of 


438  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

religious  concepts,  free  from  doctrinal,  creedal,  and  denomi- 
national interpretations,  could  be  put  into  the  school  curriculum. 
We  realize  there  is  much  force  and  consideration  given  to  their 
arguments,  but  we  cannot  see  the  feasibility  of  the  plan.  We 
believe  in  the  broad  interpretation  of  religion  for  it  is  to  be  thor- 
oughly adaptable  to  all  classes  and  conditions  of  humanity. 
When  we  speak  of  religion,  we  are,  of  course,  referring  to  the 
broad  principles  of  Christianity  upon  which  the  advocates  of 
this  theory  agree,  as  it  is  the  only  religion  which  can  give 
a  positive  civilization  to  the  world.  We  dc  not  believe  that  the 
introduction  of  religious  instruction,  even  upon  the  basis  of  the 
broadest  intrepretation  of  Christian  teachings,  would  work  in 
practise.  It  is  very  evident  that  such  a  plan  would  not  be  an 
acceptable  one  to  the  Hebrew,  Catholic,  and  a  majority  of  the 
Protestants  and  many  other  forms  of  religious  life  which  are 
represented  in  our  public  schools.  All  these  conditions  must  be 
borne  in  mind  in  advocating  this  theory.  At  the  same  time 
it  is  well-nigh  impossible  to  interpret  religion  on  the  broad- 
est basis,  to  eliminate  every  iota  of  denominational  and  doc- 
trinal view-point.  The  public  school  is  not  a  religious  nor  anti- 
religious  school,  but  it  is  a  secular  institution,  and  we  want  to 
see  it  remain  such".  And  afterward,  on  pp.  11  ff.  :  "We  can- 
not agree  with  Dr.  Seeley  (Foundation  of  Education,  p.  248) 
in  advocating  the  study  of  the  Bible  as  a  religious  book.  .  . 
The  Hebrew  father  would  have  every  right  to  object,  according 
to  his  religious  belief  and  traditions,  to  the  principles  of  the 
Christian  religion  being  brought  to  his  child.  .  .  Religions  can- 
not consistently  be  taught  in  our  public  schools".  Nothing  re- 
mains therefore  as  bearer  of  religious  education  but  home  and 
Church. 

Similar  conclusions,  though  from  different  premises  and 
with  different  aims  in  view,  are  reached  by  G.  A.  Coe,  in  his 
work :  "Education  in  Religion  and  Morals".  After  animad- 
verting upon  the  introduction  of  the  Bible  in  the  public  schools 
and  upon  the  notion  of  teaching  certain  fundamental  religious 
truths  upon  a  biblical  basis,  he  continues  (pp.  360  ff.):  "What 
then  should  be  the  next  move  toward  improving  the  relation 
of  the  State  schools  toward  religion?  Without  hesitation  it  may 
be  said  that  the  next  move  should  be  to  induce  the  family  and 
the   Church    consciously   to    assume    their   proper    share    of   the 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  439 

responsibility  for  the  character  of  the  rising  generation.  Let 
us  remove  the  beam  that  is  in  our  own  eyes.  If  I  let  weeds 
go  to  seed  in  my  door-yard,  they  spread  to  my  neighbor's  door- 
yard;  but  if  I  make  my  door-yard  beautiful  with  flowers,  I 
make  it  easier  for  my  neighbor  to  beautify  his  own  premises. 
As  soon  as  the  family  and  the  Church  are  sufficiently  aroused 
to  begin  to  do  their  own  duty,  the  public  school  question  will 
grow  wondrously  simple.  Strong  purpose  is  contagious,  and  it 
has  a  remarkable  way  of  finding  methods.  Our  trouble  is  that 
we  have  not  reached  the  point  of  giving  ourselves  to  this  reform. 
We  are  giving,  instead,  advice  and  criticism  to  the  public 
schools,  and  in  various  ways  we  are  hoping  that  organizations, 
methods,  and  schemes  will  do  what  only  personal  consecration 
can  accomplish.  We  neglect  the  children  in  our  homes;  we  do 
shilly-shally  work  in  the  Sunday  school,  and  then  shift  to  the 
State  school  the  blame  for  the  results  !  It  is  well,  to  be  sure, 
to  adopt  at  once  feasible  means  of  improving  the  State  school, 
and  depend  upon  it — any  large  and  thorough  improvement  there- 
in will  wait  until,  through  striving  to  build,  each  over  against 
his  own  house,  the  churches  and  the  homes  have  developed  a 
proper  educational  consciousness  among  the  people". 

When  we  speak  of  the  school  as  an  educational 
agency,  we  think  primarily  of  the  regular  church,  or 
parish,  school.  We  give  it  this  name  for  the  reason 
that  the  individual  church,  or  parish,  establishes  and 
supervises  it.  Where  the  parish  school  is  managed  ac- 
cording to  the  basal  idea  that  has  given  it  birth,  instruc- 
tion will  be  imparted  not  only  in  religion  but  also  in 
all  other  branches  that  have  a  place  in  the  curriculum 
of  a  Christian  public  school.  Such  a  school  will  preserve 
its  unique  character  by  teaching  everything  that  is 
taught  according  to  the  mind  and  in  the  spirit  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  in  harmony  with  the  confession  of  the 
Church  which  sustains  it.  It  will  be  arranged  in  grades, 
as  required  by  the  development  of  the  children ;  it  will 
be  managed  by  teachers  who  have  made  the  education 
of  the  young  their  task,  devotion  to  which  has  now  be- 


440  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

come  their  occupation  for  life.  Where  the  teachers 
understand  their  duty,  faithfully  fulfill  it,  and  are  them- 
selves imbued  with  the  spirit  of  Christ;  where  the  pastor 
visits  the  school  diligently,  keeps  an  eye  on  its  cur- 
riculum, and  sees  to  it  that  it  is  carried  out  and  control- 
led by  the  right  spirit;  where  he  pleads  for  the  school  in 
his  sermon,  in  his  pastoral  work,  and  in  the  assembly  of 
the  congregation  as  a  most  important  factor  in  a  healthy 
congregational  development,  and  where  by  such  loyal 
co-operation  of  pastor  and  flock  the  congregation  is 
brought  to  such  a  sense  of  the  great  blessing  embodied 
in  her  school  that  the  children  of  school  age  are  freely 
entrusted  to  it,  there  a  constant  stream  of  blessing  will 
flow  from  such  a  school  into  the  congregation,  especially 
where  the  Christian  home  works  hand  in  hand  with  the 
school.  Beware  of  silencing  the  proposition  to  estab- 
lish such  a  school  with  the  phrase  that  it  is  an  exotic 
growth !  This  it  cannot  be  for  the  very  reason  that,  un- 
like the  State  school  of  Germany,  it  is  a  Church  school 
(p.  211).  There  is  another  reason:  It  was  in  actual 
existence  in  our  country  for  a  long  time  before  there 
was  such  a  thing  as  a  public  school,  even  apart  from 
Lutheran  congregations.  The  fact  of  its  gradual  ex- 
tinction in  the  eastern  part  of  our  country,  while  partly 
due  to  other  causes,  is  largely  explained  by  a  diminu- 
tion of  that  spiritual  energy  and  the  lack  of  that  vigor- 
ous Lutheran  consciousness  which  should  have  pervaded 
the  whole  church  life,  the  sphere  of  education  in- 
cluded. Where  no  parish  school  was  established  in  the 
West  or,  having  been  established,  was  permitted  to  pass 
away,  the  same  causes  are  likely  to  have  been  in  opera- 
tion in  one  way  or  another.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  such  a  school  be- 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  441 

conies  more  difficult  where  the  maintenance  of  the 
mother  tongue  brought  across  the  ocean  is  no  longer 
one  of  its  aims;  but  has  it,  in  view  of  the  vernacular 
upon  our  children's  lips,  become  a  matter  of  indifference 
in  what  spirit  geography,  history,  natural  science,  etc., 
are  taught — in  the  spirit  of  the  Word  of  God,  which  al- 
ways discloses  the  wonder-working  hand  of  God,  or  in 
the  spirit  of  materialism  and  of  the  evolution  theory, 
which  pervades  the  textbooks  of  our  public  schools 
openly  or  in  disguise;  in  the  spirit  which  knows  of  no 
consummation  of  all  things  until  the  present  process  of 
development  shall  have  been  terminated  by  the  judg- 
ment of  God,  or  in  the  spirit  of  Spencer's  philosophy 
and  pedagogy,  according  to  which  the  history  of  hu- 
manity is  a  path  constantly  climbing  higher — up  to 
the  highest  heaven,  which  mankind  is  to  create  for  it- 
self by  the  labor  it  performs  in  its  own  behalf?  Shall 
the  natural  man  and  an  earth-born  morality  have  the 
last  word  in  the  premises?  Let  us  try  to  understand  the 
idea  in  all  its  bearings:  For  six  days  in  the  week  our 
children  are  to  be  surrendered  to  the  views  of  the  nat- 
ural man,  and — perhaps — perceive  a  little  of  eternity's 
breath  in  Sunday  school  on  the  seventh !  Which  is  bound 
imperceptibly  to  gain  the  upper  hand  in  these  cir- 
cumstances, especially  where  the  home  and  its  spirit 
does  not  rear  a  strong  protecting  wall  around  the  soul? 
The  spirit  from  the  abyss,  the  spirit  of  lies,  which  utter- 
ly confuses  all  Christian  concepts  in  the  soul,  and  in  a 
masterly  manner  represents  as  Christian  what  never 
can  be  such,  is  at  work  more  busily  than  ever.  Hence 
it  is  more  necessary  than  ever  to  protect  the  souls  of 
the  adolescent  youth  against  it  from  little  up  by  in- 
struction  emanating   from    the   spirit    of   Christ.      And 


442  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

the  Christian  parish  school  is  the  first  place  where 
that  should  be  expected  to  be  found.  It  is  true  that 
today,  when  the  public  school  system  has  reached  a 
high  degree  of  efficiency  in  equipment  and  method,  the 
establishment  and  maintenance  of  a  parish  school  is 
much  more  difficult  than  formerly  and  offers  no  pros- 
pect of  permanence  in  the  cities,  unless  several  teachers 
are  in  charge;  but  we  have  quite  a  number  of  opulent 
city  congregations  which  are  equal  to  the  financial  de- 
mands thus  made  upon  them,  the  more  so  as  healthy 
co-operation  shall  tend  to  supercede  in  our  Church  the 
wretched  competition  of  the  present. 

While  it  is  therefore  the  holy  duty  of  the  Church 
in  general  and  of  the  individual  congregation  in  particu- 
lar to  establish  regular  parish  schools  and  to  equip  them 
with  the  requisite  lesson  helps  and  teaching  force,  con- 
ditions are  not  rare  in  which  the  establishment  of  regu- 
lar parish  schools  is  precluded.  Wherever  that  is  the 
case,  it  is  desirable,  especially  in  country  districts,  to 
make  all  possible  legitimate  efforts  to  have  Christian, 
Lutheran  teachers  called  to  the  public  schools,  where 
they  may  teach  at  public  expense  for  as  many  months 
as  is  required  by  State  law,  without  in  the  least  modi- 
fying the  non-religious  character  of  the  school,  but  in  a 
manner  comporting  with  their  Christian  character.  Rome 
knows  what  she  is  doing  when  she  sees  to  it  that  a  dis- 
proportionately large  number  of  teachers  of  her  faith  are 
given  charge  of  the  public  schools.  While  the  motive, 
which  cannot  be  any  other  than  the  ultimate  domination 
of  the  State  by  the  Church,  is  questionable,  the  breadth 
of  vision  and  the  energy  in  the  execution  of  the  plan 
may  serve  as  an  example.  In  the  months  not  taken  up 
by  public  duty,   such  Lutheran  school  teachers,  then, 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  443 

r $ 

may  teach  parish  school  at  congregational  expense.     In 
the  cities,  however,  where  the  establishment  of  a  regular 
parish   school   should   prove   impossible,   efforts   should 
be  made  to  send  the  children  to  a  parish  school,  at  least 
from  the  sixth   to  the  ninth  year.     When   they   subse- 
quently have  to  patronize  the  public  school,  the  spiritual 
influence  of  the  first  school  can  be  perpetuated  by  means 
of  the  Saturday  and  Sunday  school.    Only  where  the  dis- 
tance from  the  parish  school  is  so  great  that  children  of 
from  six  to  nine  years  of  age  are  unable  to  cover  it, 
these  should  be  gathered  in  such  a  partial  parish  school 
during  the  years  of  their  preparation  for  confirmation. 
Should  even  this  be  precluded  by  the  shortsighted- 
ness of  the  leaders  in  the  congregation,  by  a  lack  of 
training  in  the  spirit  of  sacrifice  and  unwillingness  to 
be  trained,  efforts  should  be  made  to  have  the  local  or, 
still   better,   the   State   authorities   to  set  aside  for  in- 
struction in  religion  a  certain  number  of  hours  of  the 
time  claimed  by  the  public  school.     In  proportion  as 
the  necessity  for  religious  training  shall  impress  itself 
upon  the  public  conscience,  such  a  plan  will  meet  with 
the  sympathy  of  the  school  authorities,  unless  the  spirit 
of    syncretism,    now    in    the    ascendant    throughout   the 
country,  and  aiming  at  a  universal   religion,  shall   foil 
the  plan.     Such  instruction  in  religion  by  the  Church 
should  be  supervised  by  a  pastor  conversant  with  teach- 
ing methods,  and  be  imparted  by  teachers  of  a  decid- 
edly  Christian  character  whose  general   equipment   for 
teaching  has  been  supplemented  by  a  special  course  in 
religion    and    Christian    pedagogy,     arranged     by    the 
Church.    The  effect  upon  the  child  will  be  much  deeper 
and  more  enduring  if  the  teacher  of  religion  is  at  least 
the  equal  of  his  colleagues  in  the  public  schools  in  point 


444  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

of  technical  training;  if  the  teaching  facilities  are  no  less 
adequate  than  those  obtaining  in  public  instruction  ; 
if  religious  instruction  is  imparted  in  the  rooms  of  the 
public  school  building,  and  if  no  hours  are  appointed 
for  such  instruction  when  the  children  are  worn  out 
by  fatigue.  Although  the  Christian  character  of  the 
teacher  is  bound  to  be  a  decisive  factor  in  religious  in- 
struction, no  matter  how  adverse  the  conditions,  there 
are  psychological  and  pedagogic  considerations  that 
favor  the  measures  above  recommended.  By  system- 
atic effort,  such  arrangements  will  generally,  though 
not  always,  prove  feasible,    Cp.  ch.  20. 

Should  the  public  authorities  refuse  to  defer  to  the 
request  of  the  congregation  in  the  matter,  it  would  not 
be  advisable  to  wait  for  a  change  of  sentiment.  In  that 
case,  or  if  a  parish  school,  either  in  the  regular  or  par- 
tial form,  should  prove  impracticable,  a  combination  of 
summer,  Saturday,  and  Sunday  school  will  largely  solve 
the  problem.  At  least  in  the  place  where  the  pastor  re- 
sides, this  combination  is  feasible  and  has  long  since 
passed  the  experimental  stage.  It  was  subjected  by  me 
to  a  practical  test  as  early  as  twenty-eight  years  ago ; 
and  since  that  time  it  has  been  found  practicable  in 
bilingual  as  well  as  exclusively  English-speaking  con- 
gregations. The  summer  school  should  be  conducted 
for  eight  weeks  at  least  three  hours  each  day.  Not  a 
few  pedagogues  have  stated  it  as  their  opinion  that  a 
vacation  of  three  months  is  accompanied  by  great  disad- 
vantages. Not  a  few  local  school  authorities  have  es- 
tablished public  summer  schools ;  yea,  in  some  cities  va- 
cation has  been  abolished,  the  time  of  daily  instruc- 
tion being  shortened  instead.  Such  measures  con- 
stitute an  irrefutable  answer  to  the  assertion  that  a  re- 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  445 

ligious  summer  school  will  be  made  impossible  by  being 
represented  as   a  measure   of  cruelty   against  the  chil- 
dren and  an  infringement  upon  the  leisure  to  which  they 
are  entitled.     Saturday  school  is  conducted  throughout 
the  year,  with  the  possible  exception  of  the  eight  weeks 
occupied  by  the  summer  school ;  from  three  to  five  hours 
should  be  devoted  to  it.    All  the  children  of  the  congre- 
gation  from  the  sixth   or  the  eighth   year  respectively 
should  be  held  to  attend  these  schools.     Since  only  re- 
ligious instruction,  in  its  various  ramifications  is  given — 
Biblical  History,  Biblical  Geography,  Church  History — 
much  can  be   attained  for  the  cause  of  education   and 
training  of  children,  provided  the  schools  are  character- 
ized by  system  and  conscience.     The  results  of  a  prop- 
erly, conducted  regular  church  school,  however,  are  in- 
deed    beyond     the     scope     of     these     partial     parish 
schools,     and     the     combination     schools,     partly     be- 
cause   the    influence    of    the    latter    is    in    part    para- 
lyzed  by   that   of   the   non-religious    State    school,   and 
partly  because  the  factor  of  habit,  which  looms  large  in 
the  sphere  of  child  training,  is  not  operative.    The  Sat- 
urday   school    should    supplement   the    Sunday    school. 
The  "presentation"  of  the  Bible  story  given  in  the  Sun- 
day school  is  to  be  followed  by  the  "penetration"  and 
"application"   in  the  Saturday  school;  cp.   ch.   31.     At 
least  the  Saturday  and  the  Sunday  schools  must  adjust 
themselves  to  each  other.     Just  as  any  school  whatever 
which   aims   at   respectable   achievements,   the   summer 
school,   and  the  Saturday  and  Sunday  school  as  well, 
should  have  a  regular  curriculum,  which  should  embrace 
all  grades  and  extend  over  at  least  two  years  (cp.  the 
following  eh.).     But  such  a  curriculum  cannot  be  estab- 
lished unless  one  has  clear  views  in  regard  to  the  aim 


446  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

and  tasks  of  the  Sunday  school.  Where  a  regular  parish 
school  is  in  existence,  and  really  attended  by  the  whole 
congregational  youth  from  the  sixth  year  upward,  the 
Sunday  school  is  hardly  a  real  necessity.  In  that  case 
it  would  be  better  to  change  it  into  a  junior  congrega- 
tion, a  measure  to  be  recommended,  provided  this  would 
not  affect  attendance,  especially  so  far  as  the  upper 
classes  are  concerned,  at  the  regular  services  (p.  434). 
The  situation  is  different  where  the  Sunday  school  can 
be  made  a  missionary  agency  for  the  purpose  of  gather- 
ing religiously  neglected  waifs.  Where  there  is  no 
parish  school,  or  the  parish  school  is  not  attended  by 
the  whole  youth  of  the  congregation  ranging  from  the 
sixth  to  the  thirteenth  year,  the  Sunday  school,  in  such 
case  a  necessity,  has  to  be  something  more  than  a  junior 
congregation :  its  session  is  a  school  rather  than  a  divine 
service.  There  must  be  teaching  there,  reciting,  the 
covering  of  a  definite  amount  of  ground;  but  all  this 
must  be  under  the  control  of  the  paramount  idea :  the 
instruction  given  is  religious,  and  the  object  is  training; 
an  impression  is  to  be  made  not  upon  the  intellect  alone, 
but  upon  the  whole  man,  who,  through  such  instruction, 
is  to  be  trained  for  something  higher.  However,  the 
curriculum  can  be  carried  out  only  where  the  several 
assistants  or  Sunday  school  teachers  regularly  meet  the 
pastor  for  their  own  instruction  first,  in  order  to  dis- 
cuss the  subjects  to  be  taught,  both  in  regard  to  con- 
tent and  their  bearings  upon  the  several  grades,  and 
thereupon  make  thorough  preparation  for  their  classes. 
This  involves  the  other  proviso  that,  with  the  possible 
exception  of  the  infant  classes,  the  school  is  occupied 
not  with  diverse  but  with  the  same  material  (one  and 
the   same   Bible  story). 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  447 

To  t*he  educational  agencies  mentioned — the  home, 
the  divine  service,  the  church  school  in  one  form  or  an- 
other, must  be  added  the  instruction  of  catechumens, 
which  immediately  precedes  confirmation  and  dare  never 
be  omitted.    Where  there  is  a  regular  parish  school  and 
this  parish  school  is  properly  maintained,  there  should 
be  no  necessity  for  more  time  being  spent  upon  it  than 
three  hours  per  week  for  the  space  of  six  months,  espe- 
cially if  the  pastor  himself  imparts   instruction  in  the 
upper  grade  of  the  parish  school.    Where  there  is  a  par- 
tial parish  school,  so  constituted  that  it  is  attended  by 
the  children  of  twelve  and  thirteen  years  of  age  for  two 
years,  the  same  number  of  hours  will  prove  adequate.  If 
either  plan  prove  impracticable  and,  likewise,  religious 
instruction   during   regular   school   hours   through   con- 
fessional  teachers   maintained   by   the   church,    so   that 
but  one  possibility  remains,  namely,  the  combination  of 
summer,  Saturday,  and  Sunday  school,  catechumenal  in- 
struction should  be  given  four  times  a  week  for  two 
years,  unless  incalculable  injury  is  to  be  inflicted  upon 
the  congregation.     If  the  catechumenal  lesson  could  be 
given  from  eight  to  nine,  instead  of  from  four  to  five, 
a   stronger  effect  would  be  achieved,  inasmuch   as  the 
children  would  be  fresh  and  the  whole  day  would  come 
under  the  influence  of  the  initial  lesson.     If  the  cate- 
chetical material  is  offered  at  a  time  of  fatigue,  there 
is  danger  of  its  being  identified  with  ennui  and  fatigue. 
If  such  instruction  is  imparted  as  a  mere  appendage  to 
public  school  instruction,  the  soul  is  in  danger  of  falling 
a  victim  to  the  fallacy  that  religion  is  of  less  importance 
for  the  tasks  of  life  than  arithmetic  and  rhetoric.  Should 
anyone  even  think  that  he  can  prepare  his  pupils  for 
confirmation  and  the  Christian  life  with  a  few  "lectures", 


448  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

he  is  guilty  of  most  conscienceless  conduct  both  from 
the  pedagogic  and  the  religious  standpoint.  Here  cate- 
chization  is  needed.  The  instruction  of  catechumens  is 
the  most  important  instruction ;  he  who  is  not  faithful 
here  is  not  fit  to  hold  the  office  which  preaches  recon- 
ciliation with  God ;  and  the  more  any  congregation 
should  insist  upon  a  shortening  of  the  time  devoted  to 
instruction,  the  more  decided  the  pastor  should  be  in  op- 
position.— Should  there  be  a  second  congregation  in 
the  parish,  Sunday  school  should  be  maintained  there 
regularly  and,  if  possible,  Saturday  school ;  and,  wher- 
ever possible,  the  children  of  such  congregation  should 
join  those  in  the  main  congregation  for  instruction  dur- 
ing a  term  of  from  four  to  five  months  at  least.  Only 
self-denial  and  conscientious  purpose  can  produce  order 
and  efficiency. 

With  confirmation,  however,  religious  instruction 
should  not  be  brought  to  a  conclusion.  While  an  im- 
portant goal  has  been  reached,  it  is,  after  all,  but  pre- 
liminary to  one  beyond.  Confirmation  should  be  fol- 
lowed by  further  care.  The  Christian  home  serves  the 
purpose  of  helping  the  young  to  retain  and  exploit  the 
treasures  acquired.  How  much  depends  in  just  these 
years  upon  the  example  of  father  and  mother,  whose 
firm  Christian  character  is  designed  to  uphold  the  feeble 
tendril  of  the  immature  faith  of  the  young,  has  been 
shown  above  (pp.  431 — 433).  Common  worship  both 
morning  and  evening;  regular  attendance  at  divine  ser- 
vices ;  a  generous  supply  of  good  literature ;  common 
pleasure  and  recreation ;  constant  self-criticism ;  exqui- 
site judgments,  conversations,  actions ;  sympathy  for 
questions  engendered  by  youthful  doubt ;  toleration  for 
everything  lawful ;  truthfulness,  firmness,  and  freedom 


The  Educational  Agencies  of  the  Church  449 

in  noble  union — these  are  requisites  of  the  Christian 
home.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  home,  but  too  often, 
betrays  too  little  understanding,  willingness,  and  readi- 
ness for  such  ideals,  and  requires  a  gradual  training 
therefor  in  patience.  Ofttimes  it  is  even  an  enemy  of 
such  Christian  training,  not  only  by  reason  of  its  in- 
different religious  and  moral  attitude,  but  also  because 
the  axiom  :  "Confirmation  is  the  close  of  religious  edu- 
cation", not  without  the  fault  of  the  Church,  has  been 
ingrained  into  its  very  life.  Therefore,  if  the  confirmed 
youth  is  to  receive  adequate  care  and  the  work  begun  is 
to  be  continued,  another  educational  agency  must  take 
its  place  beside  the  home.  We  refer  to  the  Bible  Class 
of  the  Sunday  school  and  the  Young  People's  Society. 
Attendance  at  Bible  Class  should  be  the  self-evident  duty 
of  all  the  confirmed  down  to  the  dangerous  sixteenth  or 
seventeenth  year  (pp.  300 — 301).  Those  who  have  ful- 
filled it  during  those  years,  are  likely  to  do  so  also  after- 
ward. The  Young  People's  Society  exists  not  only 
as  an  external  tie  for  the  confirmed  youth,  but  also,  and 
pre-eminently,  as  a  means  of  their  further  mental  and 
spiritual  culture.  It  adopts  its  own  constitution,  accord- 
ing to  which  the  general  direction  is  committed  to  the 
pastor  (cf.  Rules  for  Young  People's  Societies,  Waverly, 
1912).  Either  it  is  divided  into  two  sections  (from  13 
to  16  and  from  14  to  17  years  respectively),  or  it  is 
recruited  from  the  ranks  of  those  who  have  gone 
through  the  Bible  Class  of  the  Sunday  school.  If  at- 
tendance upon  Bible  Class  (also  upon  the  meetings  of 
the  lower  section  of  the  Young  People's  Society)  is 
a  matter  of  obligation  and  congregational  enactment, 
membership  in  the  upper  section  is  left  free.  Properly 
conducted,  the  Young  People's  Society  is  an  important 


450  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

educational  agency,  a  source  of  blessing  for  all  partici- 
pants, and  a  society  from  which  later  the  ranks  of  the 
most  useful  and  mature  members  of  the  congregation 
recruit  themselves.  But  prospect  of  permanence  exists 
only  where,  from  the  very  beginning,  the  work  conforms 
to  a  preconceived  plan ;  otherwise  it  will  not  survive 
the  charm  of  novelty.  It  stands  to  reason  that  it  should 
be,  in  part,  a  school  of  training  for  the  future  assumption 
of  the  burdens  and  duties  of  active  membership  in  the 
congregation.  The  main  stress,  however,  must  be  laid 
upon  safeguarding  and  experiencing  the  things  learned 
during  the  years  of  school,  though  under  new  aspects 
(cf.  ch.  31),  and  always  with  the  practical  life  as  back- 
ground. Thus  viewed  and  conducted,  the  Young  Peo- 
ple's Society  requires  indeed  labor;  but  what  is  a  faith- 
ful pastor  not  ready  to  do  when  he  perceives  that  his 
labors  can  be  a  blessing  to  the  congregation !  Also 
here  Luther's  word  holds  true :  "Christ  Himself  shall 
be  our  reward". 

So  far  as  the  grading  of  these  educational  agencies 
is  concerned,  that  is  precluded  from  the  outset  so  far  as 
the  home,  the  instruction  of  catechumens,  and  the  Young 
People's  Society  (upper  section)  are  concerned.  It  is 
indispensable  in  the  parish  school  as  well  as  in  the  Sat- 
urday, summer,  and  Sunday  schools.  How  the  grading 
should  be  done,  is  shown  in  ch.  22  with  sufficient  clear- 
ness. If  no  more  than  two  grades  are  possible,  the  divi- 
sion will  comprise  those  ranging  from  the  sixth  to  the 
ninth  and  those  ranging  from  the  tenth  to  the  thirteenth 
year.  If,  however,  three  grades  are  convenient,  these 
departments  will  result :  from  the  sixth  to  the  eighth  ; 
from  the  ninth  to  the  eleventh  ;  from  the  twelfth  to  the 
thirteenth  or  fourteenth  year, 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  451 

31.    The  Distribution  of  the  Material  Over  the  Different 
Educational  Agencies  and  Their  Several  Grades. 

Compare  literature  in  ch.  20  and  30.— F.  Zange,  pp.  64 — 142, 
1897.— A.  Eckert,  pp.  62—78,  1899.— J.  Berndt,  pp.  68—73,  1909.— 
R.  Kabisch,  pp.  157—181,  1910.— R.  Seyfert,  Versuch  eines  Lehr- 
plans fuer  den  Religionsunterricht,  1890.— J.  H.  Schueren,  Ge- 
danken ueber  den  Religionsunterricht,  81900.— W.  Armstroff,  Die 
einheitliche  Gestaltung  des  Religionsunterrichts  in  Kirche  und 
Schule,  1896.— H.  Brammer,  Neue  Bahnen  fuer  den  Religions- 
unterricht, 1900— 1903.— A.  Reukauf,  Zur  Lehrplantheorie  der 
geschichtlichen  Stoffe  im  Religionsunterricht  der  Volksschule, 
1901.— Baumann,  Lehrplan  f.  d.  ev.-luth.  Religionsunterricht 
der  achtklassigen  Volksschule,  1906. — S.  Bang,  Lehrplan  f.  d. 
2—8  klassige  einfache  Volksschule,  1906.— A.  Reukauf,  Didaktik 
des  evang.  Religionsunterrichts,  21906.— G.  W.  Pease,  An  Out- 
line of  a  Bible  School  Curriculum,  1909. 

So  far  as  the  home  is  concerned,  a  distribution  of 
the  catechetical  material  is  out  of  the  question.  While 
the  home,  .as  the  child  grows  up,  becomes  largely  the 
custodian  of  blessings  imparted  to  the  child  in  succes- 
sive stages,  any  communication  of  religious  truth  in  the 
childhood  stage  is  of  necessity  spontaneous  and  occa- 
sional. Of  what  radical  and  decisive  moment  the  in- 
fant period  is  for  the  later  development  and  the  forma- 
tion of  character,  has  already  been  shown  on  pp.  274  ff., 
where  also  the  needed  hints  as  to  the  material  to  be  em- 
ployed are  given.  Here  we  merely  desire  to  emphasize 
the  point  that  the  education  dealing  with  the  infant  dare 
not  disturb  the  quiet  sanctuary  of  the  awakening  inner 
life;  its  aim  will  be  above  all  to  clarify,  to  guide,  to 
achieve  results  through  the  living  example.  Here  above 
everything  the  pedantic  tone  of  the  schoolmaster  should 
be  avoided  and  all  cold  reflection  likewise!  Cautious 
and  chaste  nurture  of  the  nascent  life  imbedded  within 
through  Baptism  should  be  the  aim. 


45Z  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

When  we  come  to  speak  of  the  second  educational 
agency,  however.the  school,  a  distribution  of  the  mate- 
rial is  necessary.  We  concern  ourselves  first  of  all  with 
the  regular  parish  school.  Since  Biblical  History  is  to  be 
taught  in  all  its  grades,  the  principle  governing  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  material  should  be  clearly  understood 
first  of  all.  For  a  long  time  the  curriculum  was  devised 
on  the  concentric  circle  plan,  according  to  which  origi- 
nally all  Bible  stories  were  gone  through  with  all  the 
classes  year  after  year  (the  Old  Testament  in  the  sum- 
mer, the  New  Testament  in  the  winter).  Later  this  was 
changed,  in  that  a  few,  easily  comprehended,  stories 
were  taken  up  in  the  Lower  Course,  a  review  of  these, 
with  a  few  added  ones,  was  undertaken  in  the  Intermedi- 
ate Course,  and  the  full  number  of  stories  contained  in 
the  Biblical  History  was  reached  in  the  Upper  Course. 
This  method  of  distribution  was  made  an  object  of  at- 
tack by  Ziller  and  his  school..  These  advocated  with  all 
their  might  a  curriculum  based  on  the  successive  cultural 
epochs  (kulturgeschichtliche  Stufen).  According  to 
their  plan,  the  children  should  be  made  to  live  over  again 
in  their  own  experience  the  history  of  human  develop- 
ment from  the  Patriarchs  to  the  life  of  faith  typi- 
fied by  the  Evangelical  Church.  In  pursuance  of  this 
plan,  a  preliminary  course,  ranging  over  two  or  three 
years,  was  arranged,  with  tales  and  Robinson  Crusoe 
or  with  religious  subjects  as  material.  This  was  followed 
by  the  history  of  the  Patriarchs  in  the  third  school  year, 
by  the  story  of  Moses  and  the  Judges  in  the  fourth,  by 
the  story  of  David  and  Solomon  in  the  fifth,  the  story 
of  Jesus  together  with  selections  from  the  Prophets  in 
the  sixth,  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  together  with  parts 
of  the  Epistles  in  the  seventh,  and  the  history  of  the 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  453 

Reformation  together  with  a  final  resume  of  the  Cate- 
chism in  the  eighth.  Against  the  curriculum  patterned 
upon  concentric  circles,  as  originally  devised,  the  argu- 
ment was  advanced  that,  in  carrying  it  out,  too  much 
was  gone  over  in  one  year,  which  prevented  thorough- 
ness and,  for  this  reason,  made  impossible  the  arousing 
of  the  empiric  and  speculative  interests.  Against  its 
first  form  and  its  subsequent  modifications  the  argu- 
ment was  raised  that,  with  a  repeated  treatment  of  the 
same  stories,  ennui  resulted  for  the  children — an  out- 
come unfavorable  to  the  arousing  of  the  religious  and 
sympathetic  interests.  These  arguments  really  disclose 
the  weaknesses  of  the  curriculum  patterned  upon  the 
concentric  circle  plan.  But  the  curriculum  based  on  the 
successive  cultural  epochs  is  not  qualified  to  take  its 
place.  A  crushing  argument  against  it  is  the  untenable- 
ness  of  the  underlying  idea,  which,  ignoring  the  fact  of 
Baptism,  does  not  introduce  the  child  to  religious  mate- 
rials until  the  third  or  fourth  year  of  its  life  and  re- 
frains from  making  it  acquainted  with  the  life  of  Jesus 
until  the  fifth  or  sixth  year.  It  can  also  be  urged  that, 
without  a  repeated  treatment  of  the  subject  matter  of 
Biblical  History,  it  is  impossible  to  bring  about  such 
conversance  with  it  as  the  young  stand  in  need  of  upon 
entering  life,  even  the  so-called  immanent  review*)  not 
.being  sufficient  for  the  purpose.  What  is,  however,  emi- 
nently worthy  of  attention  is  the  effort  to  present  the 


*)  By  "immanent  review"  we  mean  the  review  connected 
with  the  treatment  of  the  new  material,  either  for  the  purpose 
of  recapitulating  the  old  material  in  order  to  have  a  link  to 
connect  with  the  new,  or  of  combining  the  new  with  the  old  and 
thus  fusing  them  into  a  unit.  Cp.  the  subject  of  "oenetration". 
ch.  32. 


454  The  Material  for  Religious  instruction 

material  of  the  Bible  stories  in  large  groups — a  prere- 
quisite, indeed,  of  a  vital  penetration  into  the  history  of 
the  several  biblical*  characters  and,  therewith,  of  the 
arousing  of  a  many-sided  interest,  sympathetic,  reli- 
gious, moral.  Accordingly  a  curriculum  that  possesses 
the  advantages  of  the  two  mentioned,  without  being 
marred  by  their  faults,  will  be  found  to  be  the  most  effi- 
cient one.  For  this  reason  simple  but  stirring  stories 
chosen  from  the  New  Testament  as  well  as  the  Old, 
should  be  introduced  already  in  the  Lower  Course ;  with 
the  proviso  that  the  stories  selected  cover  not  a  great 
number  of  periods  but  only  one  or  two,  and,  in  any  case, 
constitute  a  natural  unit.  In  the  Intermediate  Course 
there  should  be  a  review  of  the  material  previously  gone 
through ;  but  these  stories,  now  known,  should  at  this 
time  be  placed  under  a  higher  aspect  and  not  be  treated 
at  the  same  length,  while  the  new  stories  should  by  far 
preponderate.  But  whatever  material  is  taken  up  for 
treatment  should  constitute  a  compact  group  or  a  num- 
ber of  compact  groups.  All  the  lesson  material  hitherto 
used  will  be  co-ordinated  in  the  Upper  Course  into  a  co- 
herent Sacred  History.  In  the  Lower  Course  the  selection 
of  material  should  conform  as  much  as  possible  to  the 
church  year;  in  the  Intermediate  Course  at  least  the  fes- 
tive stories  will  be  reviewed  in  due  time,  while  the 
church  year  receives  no  further  consideration  in  the 
Upper  Course  than  is  necessary  to  read  and  explain  the 
pericopes. 

Carrying  out  the  principles  here  laid  down,  we  offer  the 
following  curriculum,  sketched  upon  the  supposition  that  the 
three  grades  of  the  lower  course  have  a  common  instructor, 
likewise  the  intermediate  course  of  two  grades  and  the  upper 
course,  also  consisting  of  two  grades.  In  that  case  the  mate- 
rial assigned  to  the  first  or  second  grade  of  each  course  is  so 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  455 

shifted  that  the  pupil  entering  in  1919  and  those  who  have  en- 
tered in  1918  begin  with  the  material  selected  for  the  second 
grade  and  then,  in  the  second  year,  take  up  the  material  de- 
signed for  the  first  grade.  Since,  in  the  lower  course,  all  in- 
struction should  be  fused  into  an  organic  unit  with  Biblical  His- 
tory, we  show  at  the  hand  of  several  examples  from  the  lower 
course  how  such  fusion  is  to  be  accomplished.  At  the  same  time 
we  refer  to  our  Wartburg  Lesson  Helps  and  our  Biblical  His- 
tory (Chicago,  1918),  where  this  fusion  has  already  been  ef- 
fected. 

First  or  Primary  Course  (comprising  three  school  years, 
age  6 — 9).  First  Grade:  1.  How  God  created  the  world.  A. 
(=  first  year):  Ps.  115,  3;  B.  (=  second  year):  Ps.  104,  24; 
C.  (=  third  year):  Ps.  33,  9.  Morning  prayer.  Catechism: 
First  Article  without  the  explanation. — 2.  How  God  made 
man  happy.  A:  Ps.  118.  1;  B:  1  John  4,  19;  Catechism:  First 
Commandment  without  explanation ;  Hymn  :  Awake,  my  heart 
rejoicing,  1st  stanza;  C:  1  John  5,  3;  Catechism:  First  Com- 
mandment with  explanation;  Hymn:  Praise  to  the  Lord,  the 
Almighty,  stanzas  1  and  2. — 3.  How  man  sinned.  A:  Ps.  5,  5; 
Prayer:  Abide  in  grace,  Lord  Jesus,  1st  stanza;  B:  Prov.  1, 
10;  Prayer:  Now  rest  beneath  night's  shadows,  8th  stanza; 
C:  Ps.  37,  37;  Catechism:  Conclusion  of  the  commandments 
without  explanation ;  Hymn :  Abide  in  grace,  Lord  Jesus, 
stanzas  1,  5,  6. — 4.  The  Savior  came  into  the  world.  Luke  2. 
10 — 11 ;  Hymn  :  As  each  happy  Christmas  ;  B  :  John  3,  16;  Hymn  : 
Praise  God  the  Lord,  ye  sons  of  men,  stanzas  1.  2.  8;  C:  Luke 
19,  10;  Hymn:  Good  news  from  heav'n,  stanzas  1 — 4. — 5.  Wise 
men  from  the  East  came  to  the  child  Jesus.  A:  Matth.  7,  7; 
Hymn:  Brightesj:  and  best  of  the  sons  of  the  morning;  B: 
Prov.  23,  26;  Hymn:  Thou,  whose  almighty  word;  C:  1  Tim. 
2,  4;  Act.  4,  12;  Hymn:  Thou,  whose  almighty  Avord;  Cate- 
chism :  Go  ye  and  teach  all,  etc. — 6.  How  the  child  Jesus  was 
saved  from  great  danger.  A:  Ps.  34,  8;  Prayer:  Now  rest 
beneath  night's  shadow,  8th  stanza;  B:  Ps.  91,  11;  Hymn:  If 
thou  but  suffer  God  to  guide  thee,  1st  stanza;  C:  Ps.  23,  3; 
Hymn  :  Thy  way  and  all  thy  sorrows,  stanzas  1,  2. — 7.  The  child 
Jesus  is  brought  to  the  temple.  A:  Luke  11,  28;  Catechism: 
Third  and  fourth  commandment  without  explanation ;  B :  Ps. 
26,  8;  Hymn:  Blessed  Jesus  at  Thy  word,  1st  stanza;  C:  Third 


456  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

and  fourth  commandment  with  explanation.  8.  How  Jesus 
blessed  Peter's  draught  of  fishes.  A :  All  depends  on  our  posses- 
sing God's  true  love,  and  grace,  and  blessing;  B:  Ps.  127, 
1;  Hymn:  Take  thou  my  hand,  O  Father,  1st  stanza;  C:  Matth. 
10,  37;  Hymn:  Jesus  still  lead  on,  1st  stanza,  Abide  in  grace, 
Lord  Jesus,  4th  stanza. — 9.  How  Jesus  saved  His  disciples  dur- 
ing a  storm.  A:  Ps.  50,  15;  Hymn:  Ever  is  a  peril  near  me,  1st 
stanza;  B  :  Matth.  28,  18;  Hymn:  Abide  in  grace,  Lord  Jesus,  6th 
stanza;  C:  Romans  8,  31;  Hymn:  How  the  wind  in  fury  blind, 
1st  stanza. — 10.  Jesus  feeds  the  hungry  multitude;  A:  Come, 
Lord  Jesus,  be  our  guest,  etc.;  B:  Ps.  103,  13;  Catechism: 
Prayer  before  meat;  C:  Ps.  145,  15,  16;  Hymn:  If  thou  but 
suffer  God  to  guide  thee,  stanzas  1—3;  Catechism:  Prayer  after 
meat. — 11.  Jesus  heals  the  impotent  man  at  the  Pool  of  Be- 
thesda;  A:  Luke  1.  37;  B:  Ps.  118,  8;  C:  Ps.  103,  8;  Hymn: 
Thy  way  and  all  thy  sorrows,  6th  stanza.— 12.  How  Jesus  com- 
forted a  sorrowing  father  by  restoring  his  daughter  to  life. 
A:  I  am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life;  B:  Mark  5,  36  (Fear 
not ;  only  believe)  ;  C  :  Ps.  25,  3 ;  Hymn  :  When  children  young 
and  tender,  1st  stanza.— 13.  How  Jesus  restored  a  son  to  his 
mother.  A:  Romans  12,  5;  B:  2  Tim.  1,  10;  C:  John  5,  28.  29.— 
14.  Jesus  rejoices  with  the  rejoicing  and  helps  them  out  of  their 
difficulty.  A:  Romans  12,  5;  B:  Ps.  34,  9;  Hymn:  I  am  Jesus' 
little  lamb.  1st  stanza;  C:  Ps.  77,  15;  Hymn:  Thy  way  and  all 
thy  sorrows,  4th  stanza. — 15.  Jesus  desires  that  little  children 
should  be  brought  to  Him.  A:  Mark  10..  14;  Hymn:  The 
truest  Friend  abides  in  heaven;  B:  Hymn:  Jesus  now  thine  own 
forever ;  C  :  Hymn  :  I  am  Jesus'  little  lamb,  stanzas  1 — 3. — 16. 
How  Jesus  entered  Jerusalem  on  Palm  Sunday. — 17.  How  Jesus 
prayed  before  His  suffering. — 18.  How  Jesus  was  betrayed  by 
one  of  His  disciples. — 19.  How  Jesus  died  for  us  on  the  cross. — 
20.  How  Jesus  was  buried  on  Good  Friday. — 21.  How  the  risen 
Savior  on  Easter  (lay  appeared  unto  His  disciples  (John  20). — 
22.  How  Jesus  ascends  into  heaven  in  order  to  be  with  us  al- 
ways. 

Second  Grade.  1.  Of  godly  Abraham  who  by  faith  left  his 
home.  2.  Abraham  would  rather  separate  from  Lot  than  live 
in  strife  with  him.  3.  How  Abraham  proved  to  be  a  friend  in 
need.  4.  What  pleased  God  best  in  Abraham.  5.  Abraham 
invites  three  guests  and  thus  receives  a  new  promise.  6.  Abra- 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  457 

ham  intercedes  for  the  people  of  Sodom.  7.  How  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  were  destroyed  because  of  their  sin.  8.  God  gives 
Abraham  a  son,  but  Abraham  loves  God  more  than  his  son. 
9.  How  God  Provided  a  wife  for  Isaac.  10.  Abraham  dies  and 
is  buried  by  his  son.  11.  How  Jacob  deceived  his  father  and 
his  brother.  12.  How  Jacob  fled  from  his  brother.  13.  How 
Jacob  saw  the  heavens  open  in  his  dream.  14.  Of  Jacob's  life 
in  the  home  of  Laban.  15.  How  Jacob  flees  from  Laban.  16. 
How  Jacob  meets  his  brother  Esau.  17.  Of  Joseph,  Jacob's 
dearest  son.  18.  Of  Joseph's  life  in  the  house  of  Potiphar. 
19.  What  happened  to  Joseph  in  prison.  20.  How  Joseph  was 
exalted  and  made  lord  of  all  Egypt.  2i.  Joseph's  brothers  come 
to  Egypt.  22.  Joseph's  brothers  come  to  Egypt  for  the  second 
time.  23.  Joseph  makes  himself  known  to  his  brothers  and 
treats  them  kindly.  24.  How  Jacob  again  sees  his  son  Joseph. 
25.  Jacob  blesses  his  children  and  dies.  26.  Joseph's  death. 
To  these  the  festival  stories  are  again  added  at  the  proper 
time,  so  that  at  least  the  most  important  facts  of  the  life  of 
Christ    are   touched    upon   also    in   this    grade. 

Third  Grade:  In  the  third  year  the  stories  given  above 
under  grade  1  are  again  gone  through.  As  a  rule,  one  Bible 
story  is  gone  through  for  each  week  of  instruction;  sometimes 
two  weeks  will  be  necessary.  Allowing  for  the  proper  number 
of  weeks  for  the  review,  which  must  set  in  after  groups  of  stories 
belonging  together  have  been  taught,  the  usual  number  of 
weeks  of  school  (about  36)  is  just  sufficient  for  the  material 
given  above.  The  Bible  verses,  prayers,  and  hymns,  which  must 
be  brought  in  relation  to  the  Bible  story  should  be  assigned 
for  study  also  on  other  days  of  the  week,  but  never  before  light 
has  been  cast  upon  them  from  the  Bible  story  to  which  they 
belong,  and  their  recitation  must  always  be  introduced  by  ques- 
tions bringing  out  their  relation  to  the  Bible  story.  The  most 
important  material  for  the  three  grades  of  the  first  course 
is  given  in  the  following,  and  should  be  brought  in  connection 
with  the  instruction  in  Bible  History  in  the  manner  suggested 
above  (compare  Wartburg  Lesson  Helps,  Second  Course,  Pri- 
mary Grade)  : 

First  Year  or  Grade:  Bible  verses:  Ps.  115,  3;  1  John 
4.  19;  Ps.  5,  5;  133,  1;  Matth.  5,  9;  Ps.  37,  5;  37,  37;  50,  15; 
John  3,  16;  Prov.  23,  26;  Luke  11,  28;  Mark  10,   14;  Prov.   11, 


458  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

1 ;  John  1,  29.  Prayers  :  Morning  prayer,  prayer  before  meat, 
prayer  after  meat,  evening  prayer.  Hymns :  As  each  happy 
Christmas;  Good  news  from  heav'n,  stanzas  1,  2;  O  sacred 
head  now  wounded,  6th  stanza ;  Abide  in  grace,  Lord  Jesus ; 
1st  stanza. — For  the  second  year  or  grade:  Bible  verses:  1 
John  5,  3;  Ps.  26,  8;  1  John  4,  16;  Gen.  17,  1;  Ps.  33,  9;  36,  6; 
34.  8;  103,  2;  Luke  19.  10;  1  John  1,  7;  Ps.  51,  12;  Gen.  39, 
9;  Prov.  1,  8;  Matth.  5,  8;  Eph.  4,  25;  1  Cor.  6,  14;  Romans  14, 
8;  8.  28;  Ps.  118,  8;  Ps.  91,  11;  127,  1;  Mark  5,  36;  Romans  12, 
5.  Prayers  and  Hymns  :  Now  to  gain  a  night's  repose,  stanzas 
1,  2;  Ah,  dearest  Jesus,  holy  child,  make  Thee  a  bed  soft,  un- 
defiled,  within  my  heart,  that  it  may  be  a  quiet  chamber  kept 
for  Thee;  Awake  my  heart  rejoicing,  1st  stanza;  Praise  God 
the  Lord,  ye  sons  of  men,  stanzas  1,  2;  Thou  whose  almighty 
word;  If  thou  but  suffer  God  to  guide  thee,  stanzas  1,  3;  I  could 
not  do  without  thee,  2nd  stanza ;  I  am  Jesus'  little  lamb,  stanzas 
1,  2;  Abide  in  grace,  Lord  Jesus,  stanzas  5,  6;  Jesus,  still  lead 
on,  1st  stanza;  Glory  be  to  Jesus,  who  in  bitter  pains,  stanzas 
L,  2;  My  faith  looks  up  to  Thee,  stanzas  1,  2.  Catechism:  The 
Ten  Commandments  without  explanation. — For  the  third  year  or 
grade:.  Bible  verses:  Ps.  119,  105;  John  5,  39;  Ps.  23,  1;  Ps. 
23,  2;  Ps.  23,  4;  Ps.  104,  24;  Ps.  103,  8;  Gen.  8,  22;  Gen.  32, 
10;  8,  21;  John  14,  6;  Matth.  28.  20;  1  Tim.  2,  4;  2  Tim.  1,  10; 
2  Peter  3,  9-;  1  Peter  5,  9;  1  Tim.  5,  4;  Hebrews  13,  7;  1  Peter  3, 
9;  Isa.  58.  7;  1  John  2.  15;  Lev.  19,  2;  Gal.  6,  7;  Ps.  68,  21; 
2  Cor.  5,  10;  Isa.  28,  29;  John  5,  28,  29.  Prayers  and  Hymns: 
The  Lord's  Prayer,  Good  news  from  heav'n,  stanzas  1 — 6 : 
Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow;  Jesus,  Thy  blood  and 
righteousness;  Jesus,  now  Thine  own  for  ever,  1st  stanza;  Blessed 
Jesus  ,  at  Thy  word,  1st  stanza;  Now  the  day  is  over;  Glory 
be  to  Jesus;  I  am  Jesus'  little  lamb;  He  lives,  my  Lord  has  left 
the  grave;  O  Holy  Spirit,  enter  in,  1st  stanza;  Catechism:  The 
first  three  Chief  Parts  without  explanation.  The  explanation 
may  be  added  to  a  few  of  the  commandments.  In  each  grade, 
the  memory  material  previously  learned  is  to  be  reviewed,  and 
again  brought  into  connection  with  the  Bible  story  to  which  it 
belongs. 

Second  or  Intermediate  Course  (comprising  2  school  years 
or  grades,  age  10  and  11).  First  year  or  grade:  Bible  History: 
History  of  creation   and   early  history  of  man;    Review  of  the 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  459 

history  of  the  Patriarchs;  stories  of  Moses;  stories  of  Joshua; 
stories  of  the  Judges;  stories  of  Saul,  David,  and  Solomon  (the 
difficult  stories  may  be  omitted  in  this  grade).  Where  time  per- 
mits, a  few  stories  of  Elias  may  be  added.  Review  of  the  festi- 
val stories. — Hymns:  Praise  God  the  Lord,  ye  sons  of  men; 
Praise  ye  the  Lord  in  simple  joyous  measure;  My  faith  looks 
up  to  Thee;  All  hail  the  pow'r  of  Jesus'  name;  Rest  of  the 
weary;  Jesus  loves  me;  Jesus  lives,  thy  terrors  now;  If  thou 
but '  suffer  God  to  guide  thee;  Thy  way  and  all  thy  sorrows; 
Now  thank  we  all  our  God;  Praise  to  the  Lord,  the  almighty. 
Bible  verses  :  One  half  of  the  verses  marked  with  two  stars  in 
our  "Catechism  with  Explanation",  and  review  of  those  learned 
in  the  First  or  Primary  Course. — Catechism :  The  First  and 
Second  Chief  Parts  with  explanation. 

Second  Year  or  Grade:  Biblical  History:  Stories  from  the 
life  of  Christ  in  groups  f.  i. :  John  the  forerunner  of  Christ; 
The  Savior's  youth;  Jesus'  public  ministry;  Jesus  the  helper 
of  the  sick;  Jesus  the  Savior  in  sorrow  and  death;  Jesus  the 
Savior  of  sinners;  Jesus  the  teacher  of  the  people;  Christ's 
success ;  Jesus'  disputes  with  the  Pharisees ;  Jesus'  suffering 
and  victory.  Hymns  :  O  how  shall  I  receive  Thee,  stanzas  1, 
2;  My  dear  Jesus,  I'll  not  leave;  Come,  follow  me,  the  Savior 
spake;  My  life  is  hid  in  Jesus,  stanzas  1,  2;  Jesus  sinners 
doth  receive;  O  Thou  that  hear'st  when  sinners  cry;  O  sacred 
head  now  wounded,  stanzas  1,  8,  10;  Abide  in  grace,  Lord  Jesus. 
— Bible  verses  :  One  half  of  the  verses  marked  with  two  stars 
in  our  catechism. — Catechism  :  The  first  three  Chief  Parts  with 
explanation.     Morning,  evening  and  table  prayers. 

N.  B.  As  in  Course  1,  the  material  given  above  is  to  be 
brought  into  connection  with  the  instruction  in  Bible  History; 
therefore  the  catechist  must  plan  beforehand  how  this  can  best 
be  done,  in  order  to  enable  him  to  assign  the  memory  material 
in  the  proper  order.  Compare  Wartburg  Lesson  Helps,  Second 
Course,  Intermediate  Grade,  and  the  Bible  History  published 
by  the  author. 

Third  or  Upper  Course  (comprising  2  years  or  grades,  age 
12  and  13).  First  Year  or  Grade:  Biblical  History:  The  history 
of  salvation  in  the  Old  Testament  to  Solomon  and  the  division 
of  the  kingdom.  History  of  salvation  from  the  division  of  the 
kingdom  to  the  restoration   (compare  also  the  Appendix  to  the 


460  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

Old  Testament  portion  of  the  Bible  History) ;  with  special  em- 
phasis on  the  labors  and  books  of  the  Prophets. — Bible  Reading. 
—Bible  Study  of  the  Old  Testament. — Catechism  :  In  this  grade 
special  periods  for  Catechism  are  set  aside  in  which  the  Ten 
Commandments  and  the  First  Article  are  gone  through  accord- 
ing to  the  Catechism  with  explanation.  Hymns  and  Bible 
verses  are  brought  into  connection  with  such  instruction  as  much 
as  possible,  also  Bible  reading. — Bible  verses  :  The  verses  mark- 
ed with  a  cross  in  our  catechism. — Hymns  :  O  sacred  head,  now 
wounded;  O  Holy  Spirit,  enter  in;  Jesus  Christ,  my  sure  de- 
fense ;  A  mighty  fortress  is  our  God. 

Second  Year  or  Grade:  Biblical  History:  The  history  of  sal- 
vation in  the  New  Testament  to  the  ascension  of  Christ ;  The 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  the  establishing  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  by  the  Apostles,  with  special  emphasis  upon  the 
Epistles.  Sketches  from  Church  History  (see  the  appendix 
to  the  Catechism  with  explanation).  Bible  reading.  Introduc- 
tion to  the  New  Testament. — Catechism :  Explanation  of  the 
Second  and  Third  Article,  and  of  the  Third  Chief  Part.  It  may, 
however,  be  desirable,  that  the  first  three  Chief  Parts  are  com- 
pletely treated  in  the  second  as  well  as  in  the  first  year.  Mem- 
orizing of  the  Fourth  and  Fifth  Chief  Parts,  also  of  the  Part 
on  Confession  and  Absolution,  if  this  has  not  been  done  in  the 
first  year.  Bible  verses  :  Review  of  all  Bible  verses,  and  mem- 
orizing of  longer  portions  of  Holy  Scriptures.  Compare  Ch. 
27. — Hymns:  Why,  my  soul,  thus  trembling  ever;  Who  knows 
how  near  my  life's  expended;  With  all  my  heart  I  love  Thee, 
Lord;  What  our  Father  does  is  well;  The  Church's  one  founda- 
tion. 

Such  distribution  of  material  being  calculated  for  a 
regular  parish  school,  the  question  arises  how  the  mate- 
rial is  to  be  distributed  where  the  establishment  of  a 
regular  parish  school  has  proved  inexpedient.  If  there 
is  a  partial  parish  school,  so  arranged  that  children  rang- 
ing from  the  sixth  to  the  ninth  year  are  in  attendance, 
that  share  of  the  material  which,  according  to  the  pre- 
ceding sketch,  is  allotted  to  the  First  Course  of  a  regular 
parish  school  falls  to  such  a  partial  school,  special  at- 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  461 

tention  to  be  paid  to  the  simple,  wholesome  juvenile 
hymns,  as  found  in  the  author's  "For  Beginners",  trans- 
lated by  Brueckner,  or  in  a  good  juvenile  hymnal.  The 
material  for  the  Intermediate  Course  is  thereupon  dis- 
posed of  in  the  combination  school  (summer,  Sunday, 
Saturday),  while  the  most  important  parts  of  the  ma- 
terial assigned  to  the  Upper  Course  of  a  regular  parish 
school  are  gone  over  during  catechumenal  instruction, 
especially  a  survey  of  Biblical  History,  a  number  of 
Bible  passages  with  explanation,  and  the  essential  facts 
relative  to  the  church  year,  the  hymn,  and  the  order  of 
service.  If  there  is  a  partial  parish  school,  so  arranged 
that  children  ranging  from  the  twelfth  to  the  thirteenth 
year  attend  it,  the  combination  school  should  assume  in 
the  preceding  years  the  most  important  elements  of 
the  material  assigned  to  the  First  and  Intermediate 
Course,  while  that  assigned  to  the  Upper  Course  now 
falls  to  the  one-course  parish  school  (twelfth  to  thir- 
teenth year). 

If  success  has  crowned  the  effort  to  win  the  public- 
school  authorities  for  the  plan  to  allot  some  of  the  time 
claimed  by  the  secular  school  to  a  representative  of  the 
Church  trained  in  pedagogics,  the  material  intended  for 
the  three  courses  of  the  regular  parish  school  will  con- 
stitute that  for  the  instruction  in  religion  thus  made  pos- 
sible, while  the  material  for  catechumenal  instruction 
will  be  the  same  in  that  case  as  that  allotted  to  cateche- 
tical instruction  in  connection  with  a  regular  parish 
school. 

Should,  however,  anyone  draw  the  conclusion  from 
the  adjustment  above  proposed  that  there  is  no  occasion 
for  a  regular  parish  school  as  long  as  shift  can  be  made 
to  exploit  the  whole  of  the  material  designed   for  the 


462  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

religious  education  of  the  young,  the  following  reply  will 
be  made  again :  Without  a  regular,  well  conducted  parish 
school,  attended  by  all  the  children  of  the  parish  rang- 
ing from  the  sixth  to  the  thirteenth  year,  many  things 
are  taught  with  too  much  haste,  which  militates  against 
their  being  made  as  productive  as  they  should  be  for 
the  whole  man ;  without  it,  especially  in  view  of  the 
frequent  absence  of  the  Christian  spirit  from  the  home, 
religious  habit — a  most  important  factor — does  not 
come  into  its  own;  without  it,  the  secular  branches  are 
not  taught  in  Christ's  spirit,  with  the  result  that  two 
conflicting  views  of  the  world  compete  for  mastery  in 
the  soul,  or  even  that  the  one  prevailing  in  the  public 
school  may  come  to  prevail  (cp.  ch.  20).  Notwith- 
standing, we  concede  that  this  perplexing  feature  can 
be,  partly  at  least,  removed  in  the  same  degree  in  which 
the  Church  succeeds  in  penetrating  the  home  atmosphere 
and  to  secure  for  the  catechetical  instruction  given  dur- 
ing public  school  hours  not  only  scientifically  train- 
ed men  but  also  Christian  characters  of  the  Lutheran 
type.  These  latter,  however,  do  not  fall  from  heaven, 
but  are  the  result  of  training,  true  as  it  is  that  they 
are  a  gift  of  God.  Only  the  best  human  material  pro- 
duced by  the  Church  is  good  enough  for  a  function 
so  fraught  with  possibilities  for  the  future  as  this.  If 
the  ideal — a  regular  parish  school — lies  beyond  the 
horizon  of  the  attainable,  let  there  be  speedy,  energetic, 
and  joint  efforts  to  make  the  best  of  the  substitutes  pro- 
posed by  us.  No  complaints,  no  paper  resolutions  will 
here  avail,  but  only  purposeful,  unwearying  labor  and 
prayer  for  an  effective  eye  salve  for  oneself,  the  congre- 
gation, and  the  leading  men  of  the  Church.  If,  notwith- 
standing all  efforts  and  prayers,  the  obstacles  in  the  way 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  463 

of  a  parish  school,  complete  or  partial,  cannot  be  sur- 
mounted, let  that  be  effected  which  is  practicable  in  all 
circumstances,  even  in  the  mission  field, — the  combina- 
tion of  summer,  Saturday,  and  Sunday  schools  with 
additional  hours  of  instruction  for  catechumens ;  and 
let  this  opportunity,  in  a  purposeful  manner,  be  turned 
to  account! 

The  Sunday  school,  in  accordance  with  the  devel- 
opment of  the  pupils,  is  divided  into  three  courses,  or 
departments,  of  which  the  first  comprises  the  pupils  of 
infant  age,  the  second  those  in  the  childhood  stage,  the 
third  the  youth  of  both  sexes.  Conditions  render  it 
advisable  to  assign  all  the  children  up  to  the  seventh 
year  to  the  First  Course,  or  Beginners'  Department. 
The  Second  Course,  or  Department,  comprising  the  chil- 
dren ranging  from  the  eighth  to  the  thirteenth  year,  is 
divided  into  three,  or  at  least  two,  grades,  the  confirmed 
constituting  a  unit  for  themselves.  Where  there  is  no 
regular  parish  school  or  one  not  patronized  by  all  the 
children  of  the  parish,  the  Second  Course  requires  the 
most  thorough  attention.  That  Biblical  History,  as  also 
in  the  first,  constitutes  the  principal  material  for  instruc- 
tion, is  self-evident.  "In  all  courses,  the  Bible  story  is 
fundamental ;  for  the  Bible  story  reveals  the  acts  of  God, 
in  which  our  salvation,  divinely  wrought,  is  comprehend- 
ed" (Schueren,  p.  9,  and  above  pp.  279,  280,  282,  291). 
Scripture  passages,  the  Catechism  and  the  hymn  should 
be  connected  with  it  as  focus  for  whatever  truth  for 
the  present  the  Bible  story  contains ;  but  first  rank  must 
be  assigned  to  Biblical  History.  Separate  instruction  in 
the  Catechism,  moreover,  would  be  out  of  the  question  in 
view  of  the  teaching  force  at  the  command  of  the  con- 
gregation under  present  circumstances. 


464  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

The  Second  Course — childhood.  That  a  continuous 
instruction  in  Biblical  History,  in  which  the  narratives 
of  the  Bible  are  taken  up  seriatim  from  the 
creation  of  the  world  to  the  missionary  journeys  of 
Paul,  is  not  the  province  of  the  Sunday  school,  follows 
from  the  fact  that  its  pupils  belong  to  the  most  diver- 
gent stages  of  life  and  development.  Some  selection 
has  to  be  made.  That  could  be  done  in  such  a  way  that 
the  material  designed  for  the  regular  parish  school,  with 
a  few  modifications,  is  allotted  to  the  Second  Course  of 
the  Sunday  school,  with  whose  workings  we  now  seek 
to  become  familiar,  especially  since  the  pupils  of  this 
department,  as  of  the  parish  school,  are  about  of  the 
same  age  and  require  to  be  divided  into  lower,  intermedi- 
ate, and  upper  grades.  That  done,  each  grade  would 
have  to  finish  a  certain  task  calculated  for  two  years, 
with  the  result  that  the  Second  Course  would  be  divided 
into  three  independent  units.  In  this  way  the  education- 
al facilities  would  best  adjust  themselves  to  the  mental 
development.  These  reasons  have  prompted  Dr. 
Schmauk,  in  his  "Graded  System  of  Sunday  School",  to 
assign  to  the  children  from  ten  to  fourteen  years  Bible 
Story,  Bible  Readings,  Biblical  History,  Bible  Geogra- 
phy, and  Bible  Biography  as  appropriate  material,  which 
has  largely  been  handled  in  a  masterly  manner.  Where 
for  each  one  of  these  grades  there  is  a  separate  teacher, 
who  knows  his  business  and  never  forgets  that  he  has 
fulfilled  his  task  not  merely  by  introducing  the  lesson 
material  into  the  concept  world  of  his  pupils,  but  has, 
at  the  same  time,  stirred  their  emotional  and  volitional 
life,  we  believe  the  adoption  of  the  lesson  plan  of  the 
parish  school  (with  modifications)  or  that  proposed  by 
Schmauk,  or  of  some  similar  one,  quite  practicable  and 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  465 

promising  of  good  results.  But  the  question  remains 
whether  those  postulates  in  most  cases  really  exist. 
Not  seldom  the  Sunday  school  uses  the  same  room  as 
the  congregation;  in  that  case  all  its  members,  at  all 
events  those  of  the  Second  Course,  which  we 
now  have  in  mind,  have  to  be  instructed  in  a  room  not 
seldom  without  partitions,  often  very  crowded.  It  meets 
but  once  a  week  for  the  space  of  one  hour,  in  contrast 
to  a  parish  school  whose  three  grades,  even  when  crowd- 
ed under  one  teacher,  into  one  room,  yet  receive  two 
hours'  instruction  a  week  in  Biblical  History.  Above  all, 
while  there  are  a  number  of  assistants  of  both  sexes  in 
the  Sunday  school,  these  are  frequently  rather  helpless, 
while  there  is  usually  but  one  competent,  purposeful 
leader,  unable  in  the  short  time  at  his  disposal  to  teach 
all  three  grades  himself.  To  be  sure,  the  teaching  force 
can  and  should  be  improved  (while  the  summer  ses- 
sions of  the  teachers'  institutes,  some  of  which  are  Lu- 
theran, are  not  likely  to  be  attended  by  most  of  the 
teachers,  there  remains  the  weekly  teachers'  meeting  by 
way  of  preparation  for  Sunday)  ;  notwithstanding  the 
postulates  of  those  lesson  plans,  which  are  necessary  to 
success,  will  be  realized  but  seldom.  How  can  a  teach- 
ing force  such  as  we  have  at  our  command  independently 
present  the  several  Bible  stories,  adapt  them  to  the  dif- 
ferent grades,  elaborate  from  the  individual  story  the 
inherent  truth  for  faith  and  life  by  the  process  of  de- 
velopment in  such  a  way  that  the  class  is  trained  for 
co-operation  and  intellectual  independence?  In  these  cir- 
cumstances instruction  in  Sunday  school  is  likely  to  be 
a  mere  cramming  of  the  external  events  of  the  story; 
but  there  will  be  no  arousing  of  the  sympathies  and  of 
religious  and  moral  promptings — so  important  for  the 


466  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

development  of  the  inner  life  (pp.  247,  250),  and  through 
it,  a  stirring  of  the  will. 

This  was  felt  by  Hunt;  for  this  reason  he  deems  it 
important  that  the  pastor  should  address  the  whole 
school  every  Sunday,  "to  impress  a  spiritual  truth  upon 
the  hearts  of  the  pupils"  (p.  62).  True,  only  the  remedy 
is  not  adequate  to  the  evil.  The  school  having  been 
occupied  with  divergent,  disconnected  material,  the  pas- 
tor cannot  link  such  "spiritual  truth"  to  the  subject  mat- 
ter with  which  the  several  classes  had  been  occupied ; 
there  is  no  effective  turning  to  account  of  the  latter ;  the 
"spiritual  truth"  inculcated  by  the  pastor  is  felt  by  the 
class  to  be  a  mere  graft  inserted  from  without,  and  the 
intended  effect  cannot  be  realized.  Moreover,  the  need- 
ed stimulation  of  the  intellectual,  sympathetic,  and. 
above  all,  of  the  ethical  and  moral  interests,  and  the 
consequent  prompting  of  the  will  are  best  effected  where 
the  whole  school,  or  at  least  the  Second  Course  (age  8 — 
13)  considers  the  same  story  on  one  and  the  same  Sun- 
day; and  where  this  has  been  related  and  presented  by 
the  leader  first — so  presented  that  it  is  not  only  under- 
stood by  the  whole  department,  but  that  the  religious 
truths  imbedded  in  the  story  are  also  developed  from  it 
for  direct  application  according  to  the  intuitive  principle, 
and  with  the  Catechism,  Scripture,  and  hymn  material 
constantly  laid  under  contribution  (cp.  Part  V).  But 
does  the  gradual  development,  so  important  for  mental 
progress  and  clamorous  for  consideration,  in  this  way 
really  come  into  its  own  (cp.  ch.  22)  ?  This  is  the  case 
indeed;  for  1.  in  contrast  to  the  former  lesson  plans  of 
the  International  Sunday  School  Association,  it  is  only 
for  the  Second  Course  that  one  and  the  same 
Bible  story  is  required  for  the  same  Sunday ;  2.  an  effi- 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  467 

cient  leader  will  so  formulate  his  presentation  that  the 
members  of  the  Primary  Grade  can  understand  it  with- 
out its,  at  the  same  time,  becoming  dull  and  insipid  for 
the  pupils  of  the  Junior  Grade;  3.  the  three  grades 
of  the  Second  Course  are  given  a  printed  les- 
son help,  in  which  the  story  under  consideration  with  the 
related  material  from  Scripture,  the  Catechism,  and  the 
Church  Book  is  analyzed  for  each  class  separately,  and 
careful  attention  is  paid  to  the  progressive  stages  of 
the  children's  mental  development  (cp.  Wartburg  Les- 
son Helps,  Second  Course). 

Where  all  three  grades  of  the  Second  Course  always 
have  the  same  story,  such  narratives  have  to  be  left  out 
of  consideration  from  the  outset  as  possess  no  feature 
that  makes  them  intelligible  to  the  Primary  Grade.  The 
test  of  their  acceptability  is  not  that  no  unassimilated 
fragment  remains ;  for  in  that  case  few  would  be  left  for 
even  the  Third  Course;  but  those  should  be  excluded  for 
which  the  apperceptive  fulcrum  is  altogether  lacking  in 
the  concept  world  of  little  children  (p.  282).  Accord- 
ingly all  stories  of  the  Old  Testament  should  be  left  out 
of  consideration  which  deal  with  the  people  of  Israel 
in  general ;  for  the  term  "people"  is  foreign  to  the  con- 
cept world  of  little  children.  But  the  family  stories  and 
episodes  from  the  life  of  eminent  men  should  occupy 
the  foreground ;  for  it  is  in  families  that  children  origi- 
nate, and  even  for  the  comprehension  of  a  biography 
the  requisite  apperceptive  fulcrum  is  found  in  the  child's 
concept  sphere  (see  Schueren,  p.  10).  Accordingly  cer- 
tain sections  of  the  New  Testament,  such  as  Zacharias's 
Hymn  of  Thanksgiving,  Jesus'  Talk  with  Nicodemus. 
the  Conversation  of  Jesus  with  the  Samaritan  Woman, 
Jesus'      Discourses      on      the      End      of     the     World, 


468  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

etc.,  are  excluded  from  the  outset  as  material  for  the 
Second  Course.  We  have  come  to  the  limit  of  the  effi- 
ciency of  this  agency,  and  it  is  well  that  we  should  rec- 
ognize it. 

Out  of  the  question  for  us  is  the  haphazard  selec- 
tion of  the  lessons  now  from  this  period  now  from  that, 
after  the  manner  of  the  old  lesson  plans  of  the  Interna- 
tional Sunday  School  Association.  The  stories  of  the 
Bible  should  be  presented  in  large  groups,  in  coherent, 
integral  masses  of  thought,  derived  from  no  more  than 
two,  or  at  the  highest,  three  periods.  Only  thus  can 
there  be  a  direction  of  judgment  by  means  of  the  sub- 
ject matter  offered;  only  thus  is  it  possible  for  those 
Bible  characters  to  become  factors  in  the  child's  inner 
life  and  for  the  indispensable  cultivation  of  its  varied 
sympathies.  Splendid  is  what  Fankhauser  says  upon 
the  subject:  "When  we  have  begun  to  tell  of  some  per- 
sonage, for  instance,  Abraham,  the  child  has  taken  an 
interest  in  him,  if  the  proper  method  has  been  pursued. 
There  is  a  man  who  has  gone  from  home — away  from 
father,  mother,  friends,  and  kindred,  without  knowing 
what  is  to  come  of  it,  blindly  following  the  command  of 
God.  Something  has  been  wrong  in  our  presentation  if 
the  children  do  not  desire  to  find  out  from  us  the  next 
time  how  that  man,  who  has  won  their  sympathy,  fared 
further.  It  is  a  fine  thing,  then,  to  be  able  to  meet  the 
desire  of  the  child;  that  means  we  have  gained  a  great 
advantage  for  our  instruction  at  the  very  outset.  We 
do  not  have  to  explain  at  length  whom  we  are  going 
to  talk  about,  in  what  circumstances  the  person  in  ques- 
tion used  to  live,  etc. — things  surely  necessary  where  an 
unknown  person  is  to  be  introduced.  No,  the  warp  is 
already  fixed ;  the  woof  is  threaded ;  a  piece  of  the  fabric 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  469 

has  already  been  woven ;  the  beginning  of  a  beautiful 
star  or  of  a  flower  already  appears  in  the  fabric;  what 
will  the  figure  be  like  when  it  is  once  finished?  All  that 
is  necessary  to  do  the  next  time  will  be  simply  to  sit 
down  at  the  loom  and  begin  weaving".  Another  thing, 
but  one  new  story  is  to  be  selected  for  each  Sunday.  It 
is  true  that  there  are  still  Biblical  Histories  which  har- 
ness two  or  three  stories  mechanically  together,  in  order 
to  produce  2  x  52  lessons,  according  to  the  example  of  old 
Huebner.  This,  from  the  pedagogic  standpoint,  is  rep- 
rehensible even  for  the  parish  school ;  for  the  Sunday 
school,  where  the  driver's  stick  must  be  still  less  in  evi- 
dence, it  is  much  more  so.  "Not  too  much  should  be  given 
at  one  time ;  but  what  is  given  should  not  be  a  fragment 
but  a  coherent,  well-rounded  whole  (Schueren,  p.  17). 
How  should  it  be  possible  to  launch  forth  a  second  story 
immediately  after  the  first,  while  the  first  story  still 
holds  the  mind  of  the  child  bound  and  is  only  just  about 
to  find  its  way  to  its  heart,  especially  if  the  second  one 
portrays  quite  a  different  picture  and  has  quite  a  differ- 
ent aim?  The  effect  of  the  second  picture  would  mere- 
ly be  to  obliterate  or  cover  the  first  and  thus  obviate 
the  calculated  effect  upon  the  mind  (cp.  p.  228).  That 
proceeding  would  tend  to  make  the  children  superficial 
of  mind  and  dull  of  soul.  If  it  is  the  general  duty  of  the 
teacher  in  his  dealings  wTith  inattentive,  scatter-brained 
children — inclined  to  leap  with  rapidity  from  one  con- 
cept sphere  to  the  other,  to  keep  the  product  of  mental 
apprehension,  which,  according  to  the  law  of  the  limits 
of  consciousness,  dominates  the  sphere  of  consciousness 
at  any  one  time,  unmixed  with  new  concepts  until  there 
has  been  a  forceful  intuition,  how  can  he  all  at  once,  on 
this   occasion,   become   a   driver,   who   chases   the   chil- 


470  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

dren  without  mercy  from  one  point  to  another,  without 
giving-  their  excited  intellects  time  to  gain  poise  and 
calm?  (Cp.  Fankhauser,  p.  21).  Only  if  the  several  sto- 
ries constitute  a  catechetical  unit,  may  they  be  presented 
in  one  lesson. 

But  what  order  is  to  be  observed  in  the  selection 
of  the  several  stories?  He  who  knows  what  a  precious 
aid  the  church  year  with  its  exhibition  of  the  chief  pe- 
riods of  the  life  of  Christ  is  in  the  inculcation  of  the 
essential  facts  of  salvation,  and  for  this  reason  is  con- 
cerned about  introducing  the  young  to  the  idea  of  the 
church  year  and  preparing  them,  also  in  this  direction, 
for  intelligent  participation  in  the  worship  of 
the  mature  congregation,  will  follow  the  order  of 
the  church  year  also  in  the  Sunday  school,  and  always 
present,  at  least  during  the  festive  half  of  the  church 
year,  stories  from  the  New  Testament,  with  special  em- 
phasis upon  the  climacteric  events  in  the  life  of  Jesus ; 
while  the  other  half  of  the  church  year  may  be  devoted 
to  the  story  of  the  Patriarchs,  of  Moses,  etc.,  that  is. 
such  units  as  are  required  by  the  curriculum  based  upon 
the  successive  cultural  epochs. — Finally,  inasmuch  as  the 
Sunday  school,  especially  where  there  is  no  parish 
school,  has  to  be  a  school  rather  than  an  occasion  for 
worship,  and  the  intended  effect  is  not  a  momentary 
prompting  but  the  impartation  of  a  treasure  for  life, 
care  must  be  taken  that  familiarity  with  the  subject- 
matter  is  attained.  To  this  end  there  will  not  only  be 
a  review  every  sixth  or  eighth  Sunday,  but  there  will 
be  also  a  resumption  of  the  same  topics  every  third 
year.  This,  from  another  point  of  view,  brings  us  back 
to  the  requirement :  all  three  grades  of  the  Second  Course 
(Intermediate  Department)   have  the  same  lesson  story 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  471 

though  graduated  to  the  various  stages  of  development 
represented  by  the  several  grades.  If  the  contention 
is  raised  that  the  recurrence  of  the  same  material  every 
third  year  kills  interest,  we  reply  with  Schueren :  "He 
who  thinks  that  the  repeated  relation  of  a  story  causes 
ennui  is  not  acquainted  either  with  the  character  of  the 
Bible  story  or  of  the  child.  Where  the  real  story-telling 
note  is  struck  even  in  a  moderate  measure  the  biblical 
story  will  always  appear  new  to  the  children ;  they  will 
listen  to  the  person  telling  the  story  with  increasing  in- 
terest when  he  tells  a  story  that  has  caused  them  joy  once 
before.  How  is  a  mother  who  has  the  story-telling  gift 
to  any  degree  whatever  tormented  by  the  children  to  tell 
the  same  story  for  the  tenth  or  twentieth  time !  How 
the  children  hang  upon  her  lips  when  she  tells  the  story ! 
It  impresses  them  as  if  it  had  never  been  told !  Teach- 
ers whose  experience  is  different  should  not  accuse  the 
children  but  themselves". 

In  the  "Wartburg  Lesson  Helps"  the  following  stories  con- 
stitute the  Second  Course:  First  Year:  1.  How  God  created  the 
world. — 2.  How  God  made  man  happy. — 3.  How  man  sinned. — 
4.  Through  sin  man  was  lost  and  condemned. — 5.  How  the  Sa- 
vior came  into  the  world. — 6.  The  child  Jesus  is  brought  to  the 
temple. — 7.  Wise  men  from  the  East  come  to  the  child. — 8.  How 
the  child  Jesus  was  saved  from  great  danger. — 9.  Jesus, 
when  a  boy  twelve  years  of  age,  again  comes  to  the  temple. — 
10.  How  Jesus  changed  water  into  wine  at  the  wedding  at 
Cana — 11.  How  Jesus  blessed  Peter's  draught  of  fishes.— 12. 
How  Jesus  saved  His  disciples  during  the  storm. — 13.  Jesus 
feeds  the  hungry  multitude. — 14.  How  Jesus  healed  the  man 
sick  of  palsy  both  in  body  and  in  soul. — 15.  How  Jesus  com- 
forted a  sorrowing  father  by  restoring  his  daughter  to  life. — 
16.  Jesus  desires  that  little  children  should  be  brought  to 
Him. — 17.  Jesus  is  our  Good  Shepherd. — 18.  How  Jesus  died 
for  us  on  Good  Friday. — 19.  How  Jesus  arose  from  the  dead 
and    appeared   to    Mary   Magdalene. — 20.  Jesus    would    help   the 


472  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

greatest  of  sinners,  if  they  would  only  come  to  Him. — 21Jesus 
tells  who  the  neighbor  is,  whom  we  should  help. — 22.  Jesus  tells 
us  to  forgive  those  who  sin  against  us. — 23  Jesus  tells 
us  to  pray. — 24.  Jesus  ascends  into  heaven  in  order  to  be  with 
us  always. — 25.  Jesus  sends  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  shall  lead 
us  to  Jesus. — 26.  Of  godly  Abraham  who  by  faith  left  his  home. 
— 27.  Abraham  would  rather  separate  from  Lot  than  live  in 
strife  with  him. — 28.  How  Abraham  proved  to  be  a  friend  in 
need. — 29.  What  pleased  God  best  in  Abraham. — 30.  How  Abra- 
ham spake  with  God  as  a  friend  speaks  with  a  friend. — 31.  How 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were  destroyed  because  of  their  sin. — 
32.  God  gives  Abraham  a  son,  but  Abraham  loves  God  more 
than  his  son. — 33.  How  God  provided  a  wife  for  Isaac. — 34. 
How  Jacob  deceived  his  father  and  his  brother. — 35.  How  Jacob 
fled  from  his  brother  and  in  his  dream  saw  the  heaven  open. — 
36.  How  God  prospered  Jacob  in  the  strange  land  and  safely 
brought  him  home  again. — 37.  Of  Joseph,  Jacob's  dearest  son. 
— 38.  How  Joseph  was  sold  by  his  brethren  for  twenty  pieces  of 
silver. — 39.  How  Joseph  was  humbled  and  imprisoned. — 40.  How- 
Joseph  was  exalted  and  made  lord  of  all  Egypt. — 41.  Joseph's 
brethren  come  to  Egypt  for  the  first  time. — 42.  Joseph's  brethren 
come  to  Egypt  for  the  second  time. — 43.  Joseph  makes  himself 
known  to  his  brethren. — 44.  Joseph  cares  for  his  father  in 
Egypt.  The  Second  Year:  1.  How  sin  came  into  the  world. — 
2.  How  sin  spread  so  rapidly. — 3.  How  God  destroyed  man  be- 
cause of  sin. — 4.  How  the  Savior's  messenger  was  born. — 5.  How 
the  Savior  came  into  the  world. — 6.  How  John  prepared  the 
way  for  Jesus  and  baptized  Him. — 7.  How  Jesus  resisted  the 
devil's  attempt  to  dissuade  Him  from  being  our  Savior. — 8.  How 
Jesus  healed  the  centurion's  servant,  and  encountered  great 
faith. — 9.  How  Jesus  restored  a  son  to  his  mother. — 10.  How 
Jesus  heard  the  prayer  of  a  heathen  woman. — 11.  How  Jesus 
entered  the  house  of  a  sinner  and  made  a  new  man  out  of  him. 
— 12.  How  Jesus  entered  Jerusalem  on  Palm  Sunday. — 13.  How 
the  Lord's  Supper  was  instituted. — 14.  How  hard  it  was  for 
Jesus  to  suffer  and  die  for  us. — 15.  How  Jesus  was  betrayed 
by  one  of  His  disciples. — 16.  How  one  of  His  disciples  denied 
Jesus. — 17.  How  Jesus  was  carried  from  one  court  to  another 
on  account  of  our  sin. — 18.  How  Jesus  died  and  was  buried  on 
Good  Friday. — 19.  How  Jesus  arose  from  the  dead  and  appeared 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  473 

to  Mary  Magdalene. — 20.  How  Jesus  comforted  two  disciples 
on  their  way  to  Emmaus. — 21.  How  Jesus  appeared  to  His  dis- 
ciples and  brought  Thomas  to  believe  in  His  resurrection. — 22. 
How  Jesus  prepared  salvation  for  all,  though  believers  only  par- 
take in  it. — 23.  How  he  only  will  be  saved  who  perseveres  in 
faith. — 24.  How  Jesus  ascends  into  heaven  to  be  with  us  always. 
— 25.  How  Jesus  sends  the  Holy  Spirit  that  He  may  lead  us  to 
Christ. — 26.  How  a  small  boy  was  wonderfully  preserved  and 
received  the  name  Moses. — 27.  How  God  appeared  to  Moses 
and  called  him  to  be  the  savior  of  the  people  of  Israel. — 28. 
What  Moses  accomplished  before  proud  Pharaoh. — 29.  How 
Moses  led  the  people  of  Israel  through  the  Red  Sea. — 30.  How 
God  cared  for  His  people  on  their  journey. — 31.  How  God  gave 
the  Ten  Commandments  to  the  people  of  Israel. — 32.  How 
Moses  took  leave  of  the  people  of  Israel  and  died. — 33.  How 
Joshua  brought  the  people  of  Israel  into  the  land  of  Canaan. — 
34.  Of  Eli's  wicked  sons  and  pious  Samuel. — 35.  How  Samuel  ap- 
pointed Saul  to  become  king. — 36.  How  God  rejected  Saul  be- 
cause of  his  disobedience. — 37.  How  God  selected  pious  David 
to  be  king. — 38.  How  David  trusted  in  God  and  slew  Goliath. 
— 39.  How  David  suffered  much  from  Saul,  though  he  found 
a  good  friend  in  Jonathan. — 40.  How  David  refrained  from 
rendering  evil  for  evil. — 41.  How  God  exalted  David  and  made 
him  king.— 42.  How  Absalom  sorely  grieved  David. — 43.  How 
Solomon,  a  king  after  God's  heart,  built  the  temple  in  Jeru- 
salem.— 44.  How  God  permitted  a  famine  to  come  over  Israel 
and    miraculously    fed   the    prophet    Elijah. 

The  First  Course  or  Beginners'  Department  comprises  the 
children  from  five  to  seven  years  of  age.  No  regular  lesson  can 
be  assigned  them.  They  must  be  entertained  rather  than  in- 
structed, yet  so  entertained  that  they  are  led  into  an  under- 
standing of  religious  fundamentals,  and  the  new  life  implanted 
by  Baptism  is  nourished  and  made  to  become  active.  In  the 
author's  book  "For  Beginners"  it  is  practically  worked  out,  how 
these  children  are  to  be  instructed.  It  contains  the  following 
lessons  :  1.  God  made  all  things.— 2.  God  made  Adam,  the  first 
man. — 3.  What  God  has  given  me. — 4.  God  cares  for  me. — 5. 
God  protects  us  by  His  angels.— 6.  God  protects  us  by  His 
angels. — 7.  How  God  has  made  me  His  child. — 8.  How  we  may 
speak  with  our  Heavenly  Father. — 9.  How  we  may  speak  with 


474  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

our  Heavenly  Father. — 10.  God  hears  our  prayers. — 11.  Jesus  is 
our  Good  Shepherd. — 12.  God  sees  and  knows  everything. — 13. 
God  knows  and  sees  everything. — 14.  How  God  punishes  us  if  we 
do  evil. — 15.  How  God  punishes  us  if  we  do  evil. — 16.  God  keeps 
His  promise. — 17.  We  should  thank  God  when  He  has  helped 
us. — 18.  God  looks  upon  our  hearts. — 19.  What  we  should  do  on 
Sunday. — 20.  We  should  help  all  those  who  are  in  need. — 21.  The 
Bible  is  the  best  book. — 22.  How  beautiful  it  is  in  heaven. 
1.  Christmas  is  coming. — 2.  An  angel  comes  to  the  virgin  Mary. 
— 3.  God  gives  the  child  Jesus  to  the  virgin  Mar}'. — 4.  The 
angels  come  to  the  shepherds. — 5.  The  shepherds  come 
to  see  the  child  Jesus. — 6.  How  the  shepherds  made 
known  the  birth  of  Jesus. — 7.  The  wise  men  seeking  Jesus. 
— 8.  The  wise  men  find  and  worship  Jesus. — 9.  God  protects  the 
child  Jesus  from  Herod. — 10.  How  God  and  man  are  pleased 
with  the  child  Jesus. — 11.  The  boy  Jesus  goes  to  celebrate 
Easter. — 12.  The  boy  Jesus  in  the  temple  hears  the  word  of 
His  father  in  heaven. — 13.  Mary  finds  the  boy  in  the  temple. — 
14.  Jesus  finds  His  first  disciples. — 15.  How  Jesus  changes  water 
into  wine. — 16.  Jesus  feeds  the  hungry. — 17.  The  winds  and  the 
seas  obey  Jesus. — 18.  Jesus  heals  the  sick  man. — 19.  Jesus  opens 
the  eyes  of  two  blind  men. — 20.  Jesus  raises  the  daughter  of 
Jairus  to  life. — 21.  How  the  Lord  Jesus  blessed  children. — 22. 
Jesus  enters  Jerusalem  on  Palm  Sunday. — 23.  How  Jesus  prayed 
in  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane. — 24.  Jesus  is  taken  prisoner. — 
25.  The  Lord  Jesus  is  crowned  with  thorns. — 26.  Jesus  bears 
His  cross  to  Golgotha. — 27.  Jesus  dies  on  the  cross  for  us. — 28. 
The  Lord  Jesus  is  buried. — 29.  Jesus  is  raised  from  the  dead 
and  shows  Himself  to  Mary  Magdalene. — 30.  Jesus  is  taken  up 
into  heaven. 

The  Third  Course,  or  Senior  Department  (early  and 
later  adolescence),  of  the  Sunday  school  is  chiefly  con- 
cerned with  introducing  the  pupils  to  the  Bible,  to  ex- 
plain it,  and  to  train  for  an  independent  use  of  it.  Where 
introduction  to  the  history  of  the  Church  and  her  labors 
is  not  assigned  to  the  Young  People's  Society,  the  place 
for  that,  too,  would  be  here.  At  the  very  outset  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  a  dry  introduction  to  the 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  475 

extent  of  the  canon,  the  series  of  books  composing  it, 
details  as  to  the  origin  of  the  canon,  and  the  history  of 
the  Bible — all  necessary  things  to  be  known — accom- 
plishes very  little  after  all.  The  young  must  be  led  into 
the  Scriptures  themselves ;  they  should  read  them  again 
and  again.  While  the  necessary  explanations  should  be 
forthcoming  in  connection  with  the  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, they  should  not  bear  the  character  of  an  exe- 
gesis, such  as  would  be  in  place  in  a  theological  semi- 
nary. On  the  other  hand,  Bible  explanation  in  the  Sun- 
day school  cannot  stress  essentials  and  fundamentals 
too  carefully ;  it  will  show  their  bearing  upon  the  lessons 
of  the  Catechism,  nor  will  the  application  to  life  be  for- 
gotten. Whether  it  may  not  be  expedient  here  and  there 
to  take  a  shorter  route  through  the  whole  Bible  at  the 
outset,  to  be  followed  by  a  more  thorough  course  after- 
ward, depends  upon  circumstances. 

The  Saturday  school  should  go  hand  in  hand  with 
the  Sunday  school,  paying  particular  attention  to  the 
"penetration"  and  "application"  of  the  Bible  stories 
which  have  been  "presented"  in  the  Sunday  school.  How 
that  is  to  be  done,  can  be  seen  from  ch.  34.  Here  time 
is  afforded  for  an  analysis  of  the  Catechism,  for  the 
necessary  explanation  of  its  terms,  and  a  preparation 
by  these  means  for  more  thorough  subsequent  study 
of  the  Catechism,  always,  be  it  remembered !  in  connec- 
tion with  Biblical  History.  Here  is  also  the  occasion 
for  practicing  church  hymns  and  for  their  preliminary 
explanation.  Wre  know  from  practical  experience  how, 
in  this  way,  the  pastor  gets  the  Sunday  school  really 
under  his  control  and  effectually  supplements  its  work. 

The  great  value  of  the  summer  school  is  found  in 
the  daily  opportunity  afforded  of  handling  religious  ma- 


476  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

terial  with  the  pupils.  The  teacher  is  enabled  to  in- 
troduce his  pupils  to  larger  complexes ;  to  delineate  with 
them  characters,  that  of  Abraham,  Jacob,  Joseph,  Moses, 
David  ;  to  survey  the  unfolding  of  the  prophetic  acti- 
vity of  Christ :  only  thus  is  it  possible  for  the  child  to 
identify  itself  with  another  age  and  another  character ; 
only  thus  it  is  possible  for  it  to  enter  upon  an  "ideal  as- 
sociation" with  the  persons  of  sacred  history.  Separate 
instruction  in  the  Catechism  should  be  given  in  this 
school  to  the  older  pupils.  The  Ten  Commandments 
especially  need  to  be  stressed  in  this  connection,  in 
order  to  acquaint  the  children  with  the  order  which 
the  Father  in  heaven  wants  to  be  observed  in  His  house 
(p.  346).  If  it  be  true  that  the  explanations  of  the 
Catechism  should  never  smack  of  doctrinal  barrenness 
but  always  throb  with  life,  this  is  true  of  the  Command- 
ments in  particular.  Instead  of  insisting  upon  defini- 
tions of  the  many  conceptions  occurring  in  the  First 
Chief  Part,  the  children  should  be  made  to  visualize  pic- 
tures from  life;  there  they  will  be  shown  wherein  the 
true  Christian  life  consists  and  wherein  their  own  Chris- 
tian conversation  shoul  find  expression.  Alongside  the 
First  Chief  Part,  the  Second  might  receive  attention,  but 
only  in  outline;  it  is  sufficient  so  to  explain  it, 
that  it  can  be  intelligently  memorized.  Narratives  from 
the  history  of  the  Church  and  Missions,  the  fundamen- 
tals of  biblical  geography,  the  practise  and.  discussion 
of  the  more  important  church  hymns — these  are  sub- 
jects that  will  be  used  to  supplement  the  lesson  material, 
so  far  mentioned. 

The  instruction  of  catechumens  is  bound  to  have  its 
center  in  the  Catechism.  If  a  parish  school  is  available 
and   thorough    instruction   has   been   given   in   the   first 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  477 

three  Chief  Parts,  it  is  practicable  in  these  circumstances 
to  abandon  the  regular  order  of  the  Five  Chief  Parts  and 
to  select  another  way.  Confirmation,  for  which  the  cate- 
chumens are  to  be  prepared,  may  be  made  the  starting- 
point ;  from  there  one  may  go  back  to  Baptism,  pro- 
ceed to  the  Creed  next,  and  finally,  at  the  hand  of  the 
Decalogue  and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  describe  the  Chris- 
tian's walk,  the  whole  process  to  issue  in  Holy  Com- 
munion and  Confession.  Where  there  is  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  Biblical  History  as  well,  the  following 
process,  too,  is  feasible:  Creation  and  the  Fall  of  Man 
may  be  made  the  starting-point,  with  which  the  First 
Article  readily  connects  itself,  whereupon,  after  a  brief 
glance  at  the  redemptive  purpose  (cp.  Gen.  3,  15),  the 
story  of  salvation  down  to  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
may  be  gone  through  with  the  pupils  (cp.  330  ff.).  Here 
a  stop  is  made  and  the  Second  Article  taken  up  and  the 
story  of  salvation  pursued  down  to  Pentecost,  where- 
upon the  Third  Article  is  explained  and  the  Sacrament  of 
Baptism.  Then,  at  the  hand  of  the  Decalogue  and  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  the  conversation  of  the  Christian  may 
be  described,  with  special  reference  to  the  example  of 
Christ,  an  outlook  upon  confirmation  forming  the  last 
link  of  the  chain  when  the  Holy  Supper  and  Confession 
are  taught.  Where  neither  of  those  postulates  exist 
either  as  a  whole  or  in  part,  the  instruction  of  catechu- 
mens will  closely  follow  the  parts  of  the  Catechism :  it 
will  bring  out  particularly  the  essentials,  with  a  con- 
stant view  to  the  practical  Christian  life  and  the  spirit 
permeating  it,  a  pastoral  atmosphere  pervading  the  whole 
process.  Such  instruction  will  further  make  a  beginning 
of  introducing  the  pupil  to  the  Scrpitures,  cast  light 
upon  Lutheran  usage,  the  church  year,  the  order  of  ser- 


478  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

vice,  and  give  practical  information  regarding  the  tasks 
of  the  Christian  congregation  (missions).  Compare  O. 
Hardeland,  52  Konfirmandenstunden  (41910)  ;  R.  Stein- 
metz, Das.  gute  Bekenntnis,  Hilfsbuch  zur  Vorbereitung 
auf  die  Konfirmation;  Steinmetz,  Die  Bereitung  zur 
Konfirmation  in  Lehre  und  Leitung,  1910;  Vogel,  Seel- 
sorgerlicher Konfirmandenunterricht,  1911. 

In  the  Bible  Class  of  the  Sunday  school  (cp.  what 
was  said  above)  and  in  the  Young  People's  Society, 
the  object  must  be  an  introduction  to  the  Scriptures  and 
to  the  secondary  material  of  instruction,  as  it  was  called 
in  ch.  29.  How  to  introduce  the  pupils  to  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  has  already  been  indicated  (p.  413)  ;  it  is 
practically  demonstrated  in  the  Third  Course  of  the 
Wartburg  Lesson  Helps,  composed  by  the  author  of  this 
textbook.  How  the  secondary  material  is  to  be  used  in 
Young  People's  Societies  we  show  by  adding  several  les- 
son plans.  In  regard  to  presentation,  compare  Part  IV. 
In  part  also  this  material  has  been  worked  out  practi- 
cally, for  instance,  in  the  author's  book:  "The  Life  of 
Dr.  Martin  Luther,  Sketched  for  Young  People's  Soci- 
eties and  the  Necessary  Directions  for  General  Dis- 
cussion Appended"  (1917),  and  in  the  department  "Lu- 
ther League  Topics"  in  "Lutheran  Herald". 

1.  The  Church  and  her  History:  The  Heathen  World  and 
its  Moral  Condition  at  the  Time  of  Christ;  The  Preaching  of 
the  Gospel  Among  the  Heathen  Through  the  Apostles ;  The 
Persecution  of  Christians  under  Nero;  Polycarp  and  Justin; 
The  Persecution  in  Gaul;  Perpetua  and  Felicitas;  Persecution 
under  Diocletian ;  Constantine  and  the  Victory  of  Christianity ; 
Julian  the  Apostate;  Pictures  from  the  Life  of  the  Post  Apos- 
tolic Era;  Athanasius  and  the  Doctrinal  Conflicts  of  his  Time; 
x\ntonius  and  Monasticism;  Chrysostom  and  his  Congregation 
in  Constantinople;  The  Origin  of  the  Papacy;  Mohammed  and 
the  Judgment  of  God  upon  the  Church;  The  Gospel  in  Germany; 


The  Distribution  of  the  Material  479 

Charlemagne;  Missions  North  and  East;  Gregory  VII  and 
Henry  IV;  The  Crusades;  The  Monastic  Orders;  The  Decay 
of  the  Church;  The  Waldensians;  Wiclif  and  Hus. — Luther; 
Melanchthon;  Zwingli  and  Calvin;  The  Gospel  in  England; 
The  Gospel  in  France;  The  Counter-Reformation  and  the 
Thirty  Years  War;  Paul  Gerhardt;  Duke  Ernest  of  Gotha; 
Phil.  Spener;  Rationalism;  The  New  Spring;  Origin  of  the 
Union. — Muehlenberg  and  the  Founding  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
in  America;  Rationalism  in  the  Lutheran  Church  of  America 
and  the  Founding  of  the  General  Synod;  Founding  of  the  Mis- 
souri Synod;  Founding  of  the  Iowa  Synod;  Founding  of  the 
General  Council ;  Task  of  the  Lutheran  Church  of  America. — 
2.  The  Church  and  her  Confessions:  The  Duty  of  the  Church 
to  Confess  her  Faith  and  the  Three  Oecumenical  Confessions ; 
The  Lutheran  Church  and  her  Confessions;  The  Confessions  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  and  the  Reformed  Church;  The  Lutheran 
Confession  and  the  Union  (with  special  reference  to  its  repre- 
sentatives in  America) ;  The  Lutheran  Confession  and  Metho- 
dism; The  Lutheran  Confession  and  the  Baptists;  The  Lu- 
theran Confession  and  the  Adventists;  The  Lutheran  Confession 
and  Christian  Science. — 3.  The  Church  and  her  Problems: 
Church  and  World;  Church  and  Politics;  The  Church  and  Poli- 
tical Parties;  The  Church  and  the  Secular  Press;  The  Church 
and  the  Labor  Movement ;  The  Church  and  Capital ;  The  Church 
and  Prohibition;  The  Church  and  the  Lodge;  The  Church  and 
the  Public  School;  The  Church  and  the  Language  Question. — 
4.  The  Church  and  her  Tasks:  a)  Foreign  Missions:  The 
Duty  of  Carrying  on  Foreign  Missions ;  Ziegenbalg  and  Schwarz, 
and  Lutherans  Missions  in  India;  Hans  Egede  the  Apostle  of 
Greenland;  Zinzendorf  and  the  Moravian  Missions;  Williams 
the  South  Sea  Apostle ;  W.  Carey  the  Missionary  to  the  Ben- 
galese;  Guetzlaff  the  Founder  of  Chinese  Missions;  The  Leip- 
zig Missions  in  India;  L.  Harms  and  the  Hermannsburg  Mis- 
sions in  Africa;  Livingstone  the  Explorer  and  Missionary  in 
the  Dark  Continent;  Madagascar,  the  Grief  and  the  Joy  of 
Missions ;  The  New  Dettelsau  Missions  in  Australia  and  New 
Guinea;  Baierlein  and  Lutheran  Missions  Among  the  Indians; 
A  Present  Survey  of  Foreign  Missions. — b)  Inner  Missions: 
Inner  Missions  the  Duty  of  the  Church  of  Jesus ;  A.  H. 
Francke  and  Inner  Missions;  Muhlenberg's  Labors  Among  the 


480  The  Material  for  Religious  Instruction 

American  Diaspora;  Wyneken's  Pioneer  Labors;  W.  Loehe  and 
his  Care  for  the  Lutherans  in  America;  The  Organization  of  a 
Mission  Congregation. — W.  Loehe  and  the  Deaconess  Work; 
Theodore  Fliedner  and  Kaiserswert;  Wichern  and  the  Rauhe 
Haus  in  Hamburg;  G.  Mueller  the  Orphan  Father  of  Bristol; 
Survey  of  Inner  Missions  in  Germany;  Passavant  the  Father  of 
Lutheran  Inner  Missions  in  America;  A  Day  in  the  Deaconess 
Home  in  Philadelphia;  A  Day  in  the  Orphans  Home  of  Mount 
Vernon;  A  Day  in  the  Orphans  Home  of  Waverly;  A  City 
Mission  in  Minneapolis;  Our  Homes  for  the  Aged;  Our  Higher 
Institutions. — 5.  The  Church  and  her  Usages:  The  Necessity 
for  Fixed  Usages  in  the  Church;  The  Church  Year;  The  Peri- 
copes;  The  Celebration  of  the  Sunday;  The  Order  of  the  Regu- 
lar Sunday  Service;  The  Order  of  the  Communion  Service; 
The  Order  of  the  Baptismal  Service;  Announcement  for  Con- 
fession; Sponsorship;  System  in  Giving. — 6.  The  Church  and 
her  Constitution:  The  Proper  Organization  of  the  Local  Lu- 
theran Congregation;  The  Ideal  Constitution  for  the  Local 
Congregation;  The  Necessity  for  Membership  in  a  Local  Con- 
gregation; The  Exercise  of  Church  Discipline;  The  Synod  and 
its  Organizations ;  Connection  Between  the  Synod  and  the 
Congregation;  The  Correct  Relation  to  Other  Synods  and  its 
Congregations  and  Members. 

In  addition  to  the  several  series  given  above  others  such 
as  these  would  be  feasible:  Bible  Characters:  Adam  and  Eve; 
The  Sons  of  Adam  and  Eve,  or  The  First  Stage  of  Culture; 
Noah  and  the  Flood;  Nimrod  and  the  Origin  of  the  Kingdom 
of  the  World  and  of  Paganism;  Abraham;  Isaac;  Jacob;  Jo- 
seph; Moses;  Joshua;  Samuel;  David;  Solomon;  Elijah;  Isa- 
iah; Jeremiah;  Daniel;  Esra;  The  Maccabees;  Herod. — Jesus' 
Life  in  the  Light  of  the  Ten  Commandments;  Mary  the  Mother 
of  the  Lord;  Mary  the  Sister  of  Lazarus;  Mary  Magdalene; 
Peter;  John;  Judas;  Stephen;  James  the  Just;  The  First  Chris- 
tian Congregation;  Ananias  and  Sapphira;  Paul  on  the  Way 
to  Damascus;  Paul  in  Lystra;  Paul  in  Athens  and  Corinth; 
Paul  in  Caesarea;  Paul  in  Rome;  Timothy  (here  the  sections 
of  Scripture  bearing  upon  the  subject  should  be  read  by  the  youth 
by  way  of  preparation). — Church  Hymns  Explained  from  the 
Aspect  of  their  Origin:  The  Church  Hymn  and  its  Significance 
in   Reformation   Times;    "A  Tower  of   Strength"   and   Parallels 


Principles   of  Method  481 

from  Luther's  Life;  Speralus  and  "To  us  Salvation  now  has 
Come";  Ph.  Nicolai  and  "Wake,  Arise,  the  Voice  is  Calling"; 
M.  Kinkart  and  "Now  Thank  We  All  Our  God";  P.  Gerhardt 
and  "Thy  Way  and  all  thy  sorrows";  Neumark  and  "If  thou  but 
suffer  God  to  Guide  thee";  Fleming  and  "In  all  that  may  Betide 
me,  The  Most  High  God  Shall  Guide  me"  (In  allen  meinen 
Taten);  John  Heermann  the  Singer  in  the  School  of  Suffering; 
John  Frank  the  Godly  Burgomaster  and  his  Hymn  "Deck  Thy- 
self. O  Soul,  with  Gladness";  Geliert  and  "Jesus  lives!  No 
longer  now";  J.  Sebastian  Bach  the  Godly  Organist;  "Jesus 
Christ,  my  sure  defense"  and  the  Blessings  in  its  Wake.— Bib- 
lical, Ethical,  and  Apologetic  Materials:  The  Old  Testament  and 
its  Origin;  The  New  Testament  and  its  Origin;  The  History  of 
the  Bible  in  the  Church;  The  Psalms  and  their  Significance  for 
the  Inner  Life;  The  Prophetic  Writings  and  their  Significance 
for  the  Present ;  How  the  Bible  Should  be  Read  to  Build  up  the 
Inner  Life.— The  Blessing  of  True  Friendship;  Youth's  Happy 
Time;  The  Special  Dangers  of  Youth,  The  Necessity  of  Con- 
version; Prayer  and  its  Blessing;  The  Highest  Blessings  of  All; 
Conscience  and  its  Cultivation;  Truthfulness  a  Fundamental 
Condition  of  True  Piety;  Healthy  Recreation;  Getting  Ready 
for  the  Last  Journey;  Our  Duty  Toward  the  Dead;  The  Three 
Articles  of  our  Christian  Faith  and  the  Intellectual  Movements 
of  the  Present;  Is  it  True  that  Only  Fools  Believe?— Pictures 
from  the  Holy  Land  might  similarly  do  service. 


V.    The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

32.    Principles  of  Method. 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  II2 :  Die  Katechese  oder  die  kirchl.  Un- 
terrichtsmethode, 1872.— K.  Buchrucker  (pp.  173—236),  1889. — 
Charles  de  Garmo,  The  essentials  of  method.  A  discussion  of 
the  essential  form  of  right  methods  of  teaching,  1889. 
— Ch.  A.  McMurry,  Elements  of  general  method,  1892,— E. 
Sachsse  (pp.  368—381),  1897.— F.  Zange  (pp.  142—269),  1897.— 
Chr.  Buerckstuemmer  (pp.  175—197),  1913.— J.  Steinbeck  (pp. 
171 — 184),  1914.— J.  Schmarje,  Das  katechetische  Lehrverfahren, 
21892.—F.  W.  Doerpfeld,  Ges.  Schriften  III,  1 :  Religioeses  und 
Religionsunterrichtliches,  21895.— P.  Staude,  Zur  Anwendung  der 


482  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

Formalstufen  i.  Religionsunterricht,  1903. — O.  Schoenhuth,  Me- 
thodenlehre  f.  d.  Unterricht  in  Religion,  1904. — Chr.  Ufer,  In- 
troduction to  the  Pedagogy  of  Herbart,  ed.  by  Ch.  de  Germo, 
1894. — O.  Messmer,  Kritik  d.  Lehre  v.  d.  Unterrichtsmethode, 
1905. — O.  Harnisch,  Didaktik  u.  Methodik  d.  ev.  Religionsunter- 
richts i.  d.  Volksschule,  1906. — Rein,  Pickel  and  Schneller,  The- 
orie und  Praxis  d.  Volksschulunterrichts  nach  Herbarts  Grund- 
saetzen.  Das  1.  Schuljahr,  81908. — K.  Richter,  Die  Herbart- 
Zillerschen  formalen  Stufen,  31908.— W.  Bittorf,  Methodik  des 
evang.  Religionsunterrichts  (pp.  1 — 31),  21908. — E.  Linde,  Der 
darstellende  Unterricht,  21910. — W.  Lawin,  Methodik  d.  ev. 
Religionsunterrichts  i.  d.  Volksschule,  1910. — Th.  Wiget,  Die 
formalen  Stufen  d.  Unterrichts.  E.  Einfuehrung  i.  d.  Schriften 
Zillers,  101910. — E.  Thraetndorf,  Allgemeine  Methodik  d.  Reli- 
gionsunterrichts, 51912. — S.  Ch.  Parker,  A  Textbook  in  the  His- 
tory of  Modern  Elementary  Education  (pp.  375 — 430),  1912. — 
G.  Fankhauser,  Die  bibl.  Geschichte  i.  Sonntagsschule  u.  Reli- 
gionsstunde, 31915.— Ch.  W.  Heathcote,  The  Essentials  of  Reli- 
gious Education,  1915. — Sneath,  Hodges,  and  Tweedy,  Religious 
Training    (pp.  35—70),    1917. 

When  the  inner  life  of  the  pupil  who  is  to  be  in- 
structed and  trained  has  come  to  be  understood ;  when 
clearness  has  been  gained  concerning  the  aim  that  the 
pupil  is  to  reach ;  when  the  material  has  been  ascertained 
which  is  to  serve  the  purpose  of  reaching  the  aim,  there 
still  remains  a  question  to  be  answered,  namely,  by  what 
method  such  material  is  to  be  brought  to  bear  on  the 
pupil,  in  order  to  reach  this  aim  in  view.  When  we 
now  make  the  attempt  to  answer  this  question,  we  shall 
for  the  present  forbear  examining  into  the  method  of 
instruction  as  applied  to  the  several  kinds  of  material 
and  the  successive  stages  of  development  in  the  pupil, 
and  limit  our  attention  to  fundamentals,  to  things  bear- 
ing upon  the  work  of  instruction  as  a  whole. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  must  be  evident  that 
only  such  a  method  can  be  effective  and  successful  which 


Principles  of  Method  483 

adjusts  itself  at  the  same  time  to  the  peculiarity  of  the 
catechetical  material  and  the  peculiar  character  of  the 
catechumen.  The  thorough  welding  of  the  two  is  the 
very  object  in  view — a  welding  in  which  the  trinity  of 
the  inner  life  of  the  pupil  participates,  and  the  divinely 
designed  purposes  of  the  material  come  into  their  own. 
The  former  must  be  emphasized  over  against  those 
whose  one-sided  intellectualism  prevents  them  from  hav- 
ing in  view  anything  but  the  intellectual  life  of  the 
pupil,  as  if  the  feelings  and  the  will  could  safely  be  ig- 
nored ;  the  latter  requires  emphasis  over  against  those 
who,  under  the  spell  of  the  same  intellectualism,  look 
upon  Christianity  as  doctrine  only  (p.  306),  instead  of 
as  life — life  which  produces  inner  blessedness  and 
strives  for  expression  in  word  and  deed.  The  greater 
the  harm  which  has  been  and  is  being  done  by  such 
one-sidedness,  the  greater  the  need  to  point  out  the  fact 
that  every  method  is  vicious  which  does  not  view  as  its 
aim  the  imbedding  and  anchoring  of  the  catechetical 
material  in  the  pupil's  intellectual  life,  whereby  it  be- 
comes an  object  of  "interest"  to  his  emotions  and  to  that 
extent,  a  power  to  stir  the  will.  Otherwise  the  pupil, 
whose  inner  life  has  been  created  as  a  trinity,  does  not 
come  into  his  own ;  and  the  material  does  not  come  into 
its  own,  which  aims  to  reach  and  influence  the  whole 
inner  life  of  the  pupil. 

The  catechetical  material  has  for  its  source  the 
divine  revelation;  it  is  not  a  sum  of  truths  and  experi- 
ences gathered  by  man  through  his  own  efforts.  This 
being  true,  the  Socratic  method  which  would  draw  from 
the  child  religious  truth  without  ever  having  put  any 
into  it  from  without,  is  precluded  at  the  outset  (p.  157). 
Presentation  is,  in  consequence,  the  first  element  of  a 


•184  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

correct  method.  This  is  also  quite  in  harmony  with  the 
nature  of  the  catechumen ;  for  if  his  inner  life  is  to 
be  set  in  motion,  a  stimulus  must  be  exerted  upon  him 
from  the  world  without,  to  be  conducted  by  the  nerves 
to  his  soul.  Not  until  then  can  there  be  sensations,  per- 
ceptions, intuitions,  concepts — these  fundamental  prere- 
quisites of  the  further  development  of  the  whole  inner 
life  (p.  223  ff.).  The  less  fragmentary  and  unintelli- 
gible, the  less  shadowy  and  incomplete,  the  less  super- 
ficial and  colorless ;  but  the  more  distinct  and  intelligible, 
the  more  thorough  and  many-sided,  the  more  lucid  and 
concrete  such  presentation  is  which  places  its  subjects 
before  the  soul  so  that  they  can  be  grasped  and  held, 
seen  and  examined;  and  the  greater  the  sympathy  and 
warmth  pervading  the  presentation,  the  sooner  will  it 
succeed,  not  only  in  making  the  material  offered  a  per- 
manent possession  of  those  who  receive  it  and,  likewise, 
a  subject  readily  called  to  mind  and  willingly  made  the 
object  of  meditation  and  reproduction,  but  also  in  arous- 
ing the  feelings  and  stirring  the  will  (p.  251). — Con- 
nected, as  a  rule,  with  the  presentation  of  the  material 
is  the  "explanation  of  terms".  In  this  way  the  appro- 
priation of  anything  is  prevented  which  is  not  under- 
stood at  least  in  an  elementary  way.  The  more  the  voca- 
bulary of  children  is  circumscribed,  the  more  the  ex- 
planation of  terms  is  required  of  the  catechist.  Without, 
indeed,  endeavoring  to  explain  every  word,  it  behooves 
him  to  ascertain  whether  the  child  understands  when 
words  are  used  which  do  not  circulate  freely  in  its  en- 
vironment, or  which  have,  in  local  usage,  a  meaning  dif- 
ferent from  the  accepted  one.  Always  the  catechist  has 
to  ask  himself,  "Do  my  children  understand  my  words, 
so  that  they  not  only  hear  the  sound  but  also  connect  a 


Principles   of   Method  485 

definite  image  and  concept  with  every  word?"  Again 
and  again  he  will  have  to  reassure  himself  of  this  by 
means  of  questions.  Aside  from  such  general  precau- 
tions some  particular  ones  need  to  be  taken.  1.  Foreign 
words  require  specific  explanation,  even  though  they 
have  become  part  and  parcel  of  the  tongue  which  has 
adopted  them ;  e.  g.,  evangelical,  apostle,  sacrament.  2. 
archaic  words  or  locutions;  e.  g.,  take  no  thought  (do 
not  show  anxiety)  ;  conversation  (life)  ;  3.  synonyms,  e. 
g.,  tempt  and  test,  anger  and  wrath.  Unless  the  teacher 
never  wearies  in  explaining,  the  strangest  misconcep- 
tions take  root  in  the  soul.  The  rule  must  be  to  take 
for  granted  as  little  as  possible !  But  the  teacher  should 
not  devote  too  much  time  to  such  defining:  the  doubtful 
word  should  rather  be  exchanged  for  one  with  the  same 
meaning  but  more  easily  understood ;  the  plain  word 
should  be  substituted  for  the  figure,  the  impossibility 
of  accepting  the  literal  meaning  being  shown  (e.  g.,  "the 
world  is  gone  after  him" ;  "the  lion  that  is  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah  has  overcome"). 

The  soul  of  the  catechumen,  however,  has  not  only 
the  faculty  of  intuition,  but  also  that  of  conceiving  (pp. 
226  ff.)  and  of  thinking  (pp.  236  ff.)  ;  it  strives  to  incor- 
porate the  material  imbedded  in  it  with  mental  posses- 
sions previously  acquired  ;  to  analyze  it  by  thinking,  to 
examine  it  as  to  its  inner  relation,  to  combine  the  single 
truths,  and  thus  to  form  a  consistent  and  harmonious 
view  of  life  (pp.  237  ff.).  Nothing-  is  better  calculated  to 
meet  this  desire  of  the  soul  than  the  catechetical  mate- 
rial ;  for  it  not  only  suffers  penetration  by  thought,  but 
even  challenges  it,  and  only  thus  its  value  can  be  rec- 
ognized and  it  be  made  a  guide  for  life.  Accordingly, 
the  second  step  of  method  must  be  penetration. 


486  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

Sentence  analysis  is  one  of  the  means  to  this  end. 
While  this  exercise  may  at  times  well  be  connected  with 
the  "presentation"  it  more  frequently  becomes  the  apt 
starting-point  of  "penetration".  Such  analysis  may  be 
either  grammatical  or  logical.  The  grammatical  ana- 
lysis, in  the  case  of  a  simple  sentence,  occupies  itself 
with  subject,  predicate,  object  and  the  several  modifiers 
of  these  main  parts.  In  the  case  of  the  com- 
pound sentence  analysis  is  occupied  with  deter- 
mining the  principal  and  the  subordinate  clause  and 
their  modifiers.  In  this  way  the  child  will  readily  rec- 
ognize that  the  Second  Commandment  does  not  speak 
of  the  lie  as  such,  or  that,  in  the  explanation  of  the  Sec- 
ond Article,  everything  turns  upon  the  words :  I  believe 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  my  Lord.  The  logical  analysis  of 
the  sentence  strives  at  making  plain  the  inner  connection 
of  sentences,  the  relation  between  ground  and  result, 
cause  and  effect,  and  inquires  about  aim  and  pur- 
pose (cp.  the  explanation  of  the  Second  Article:  whom, 
wherewith,  whereto?  or  of  the  Fifth  Petition).  Without 
such  analysis  of  sentences,  no  exact  comprehension  of 
the  verbal  meaning  is  possible,  for  instance,  in  connection 
•vith  the  Catechism  or  the  hymn;  and  yet,  so  very  much 
depends  upon  such  comprehension.  In  many  cases  sen- 
tence analysis  is  a  good  preparation  for  the  penetration 
proper. 

Development  is  another  essential  element  of  pene- 
tration. The  faculty  of  the  soul  to  determine  the  inner 
relation  of  concepts  and  to  combine  them  into  a  logical 
sequence  of  thought,  is  applied  to  good  purpose  in  con- 
nection with  this  process  of  development ;  for  it  is  the 
function  of  development  to  compare  the  new  factors 
of  the  material  with  those  already  known;  to  recognize 


Principles  of  Method  487 

both  in  their  essential  characteristics ;  to  incorporate 
the  new  with  the  old;  and  to  ednce  the  new  from  the 
old ;  to  ascend  from  intuition  to  the  concept ;  to  draw 
deductions ;  to  form  judgments ;  to  link  together  series 
of  conceptions  in  order  to  bring  them  under  the  same 
point  of  view ;  and  to  recognize  the  idea  which  underlies 
the  individual  facts  and  combines  them  into  a  unit. 
It  is  advisable  to  follow  the  old  didactic  rules,  grounded 
as  they  are  in  the  inner  life  of  the  pupil:  1.  From 
concept  by  way  of  intuition  on  to  the  conception ;  2. 
from  the  easy  to  the  difficult;  3.  from  the  simple  to  the 
complex;  4.  from  the  near  to  the  distant;  5.  from  the 
known  to  the  unknown ;  6.  from  the  individual  truth 
derived  from  the  material  and  from  its  vivid  combina- 
tion with  already  acquired  truth  to  a  harmonious  whole 
by  means  of  reflection. 

We  distinguish  between  two  forms  of  development, 
the  one  analytical,  the  other  synthetic.  By  analytical 
development  we  understand  with  G.  v.  Zezschwitz  (II, 
2  §  26)  that  process  of  reasoning  which  uses  the  given 
material  as  starting-point  and  ascends  by  means  of  re- 
flection upon  its  individual  parts  to  the  conception  com- 
prising them  all.  By  synthetic  development  we  under- 
stand that  process  of  reasoning  which  uses  the  concep- 
tion as  starting-point  and  shows  by  means  of  partition 
and  analysis  the  wealth  of  material  contained  therein. 
The  ancients  already  said  that,  in  the  latter 
case,  there  is  a  development,  "a  principiis  ad  prin- 
cipiata",  and  in  the  former,  "a  principiatis  ad  principia". 
The  conception,  "love  of  the  neighbor"  is,  accordingly, 
developed  according  to  the  analytical  method  when,  for 
instance,  the  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan  is  taken  as 
the  starting-point  and,  by  means  of  reflection  upon  the 


488  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction    ■ 

component  details,  all  particulars  are  ascertained  which, 
in  the  aggregate,  constitute  the  conception  "love  of  one's 
neighbor".  Or  suppose  that  the  sentence :  "The  Holy 
Ghost  has  called  me  by  the  Gospel"  is  to  be  developed 
according  to  the  synthetic  method.  In  that  case,  pro- 
ceeding from  the  conception  "call",,  we  say:  "To  call" 
means  to  make  one  hear  who  is  at  a  distance.  When  the 
father  calls  his  child,  it  is  not  near  but  afar  from  him. 
When  he  calls  it,  he  expresses  the  desire  that  it  should 
come.  Perhaps  he  has  something  particular  that  he 
wants  to  tell  or  give  the  child.  When  the  child  heeds 
the  call,  it  comes  to  the  father  and  is  thereupon  with 
him.  Just  so  the  Holy  Spirit  calls ;  He  calls  us  men. 
That  implies  that  we  are  far  from  Him.  Where  are  we  ? 
Whence  does  He  call  us?  Whither  does  He  call  us? 
Where  is  he  who  follows  the  call  and  what  is  his  condi- 
tion? Whom;  for  instance,  has  the  Holy  Spirit  called 
in  this  way?  When  did  He  call  you  and  summon  you 
to  Himself  and  to  Jesus  Christ?  The  same  sentence  is 
treated  according  to  the  analytical  method  when  one 
proceeds,  say,  from  the  call  of  Jesus'  disciples  or  from 
the  parable  of  the  Great  Supper,  thereupon  shows  what 
the  call  is  and  how  it  is  issued,  and  finally  demonstrates 
how  the  Holy  Spirit  does  the  calling  through  Baptism 
and  instruction.  What,  according  to  the  synthetic  me- 
thod, is  a  mere  example,  is,  according  to  the  analytic 
method,  the  source  from  which  everything  is  deducted 
and  derived. 

Although  both  forms  are  valuable  and  likely  to 
be  used  by  an  apt  catechist,  the  analytical  form  of  de- 
velopment should  be  particularly  cultivated;  for  not 
only  does  it,  more  than  the  other,  stimulate  the  inde- 
pendent intellectual  activity  of  the  young;  it  also  sup- 


Principles   of  Method  489 

plies  the  building-stones,  as  it  were,  and  connects  them 
into  one  structure.  But  not  only  this:  it  is  in  keeping 
with  the  psychological  law  that  we  should  ascend  al- 
ways by  way  of  intuition  from  the  concept  to  the  con- 
ception (p.  226).  A  clear  understanding  and  confession- 
al consistency  result  more  readily  from  the  use  of  the 
analytical  method,  though  it  is  true,  on  the  other  hand, 
that  it  requires  more  time  than  the  synthetic  method. 
Externally,  when  a  whole  catechization  is  arranged  eith- 
er synthetically  or  analytically,  the  synthetic  form  can 
immediately  be  recognized  by  the  position  assigned  to 
the  truth  to  be  taught :  like  the  theme  of  a  synthetic  ser- 
mon, it  is  placed  in  front  (e.  g.,  Jesus  Christ  is  true  God), 
in  order  to  be  discussed.  The  catechization,  on  the  other 
hand,  which  adapts  itself  to  the  analytical  form  may 
indeed,  for  the  purpose  of  arousing-  attention,  premise 
a  general  statement  of  aim  (e.  g.,  Today  let  us  learn 
what  true  faith  is),  but  not  a  "theme",  least  of  all  the  so- 
called  final  theme  (Finalthema);  for  the  catechization, 
like  the  strictly  analytical  sermon  (Kunsthomilie),  must 
first  develop  the  individual  moments  of  truth  and  then 
combine  and  formulate  them  into  the  theme.  In  order 
to  facilitate  such  summarizing  of  details  and  the  in- 
culcation upon  the  minds  of  the  children  of  the  truth 
ascertained,  the  analytical  form,  even  more  than  the 
synthetic,  will  have  to  stress  the  main  points  already 
during  the  process  of  development.  It  may  even  be 
necessary  to  make  a  pause  now  and  then  for  the  pur- 
pose of  an  occasional  retrospect  and  preliminary  recapi- 
tulation.— Finally  it  must  be  specially  noted,  that  the 
definition  of  a  conception  which  is  to  be  gained  by  the 
analytical  method  or  from  which  the  synthetic  method 


490  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

takes  its  start,  does  not  need  to  be  as  exact  as  a  strictly 
scientific  definition. 

Argument  is  another  constituent  element  of  pene- 
tration. The  argument  should  receive  careful  atten- 
tion, inasmuch  as  a  foundation  of  solid  knowledge  is  to 
be  laid,  and  the  young  Christians  ought  to  be 
able,  in  later  life,  to  give  an  account  to  every- 
one that  shall  ask  them  to  give  a  reason  concerning 
the  hope  that  is  in  them  (1  Pet.  3,  15).  The  proof  for 
the  correctness  of  a  statement  is  either  direct,  when  it 
takes  the  form  of  a  quotation  from  Scripture,  or  in- 
direct, when  it  recurs  to  the  whole  of  saving  knowledge, 
already  gained  from  Scriptures,  and  draws  legitimate 
conclusions  therefrom ;  or,  finally,  it  can  be  taken  from 
Christian  experience.  The  first  method  of  argumenta- 
tion should  be  plied  with  particular  assiduity.  The  cul- 
tivation of  the  second  has  the  advantage  of  training  the 
catechumen,  by  the  employment  of  his  reflective  powers, 
to  make  use  of  what  he  already  knows,  and  of  enabling 
him  to  see  with  increasing  clearness  the  inner  connec- 
tion among  the  several  Christian  truths,  while  the  cate- 
chist,  at  the  same  time,  is  again  and  again  reminded  of 
the  duty  of  organically  combining  the  new  wTith  the  old. 
If  the  argument  is  drawn  from  Christian  experience, 
it  may  be  quite  permissible  to  draw  upon  that  of  the 
children,  but  only  with  the  greatest  caution;  it  is  much 
safer  to  draw  upon  that  of  mature  Christians  as  this 
has  found  expression  in  our  hymns  and  elsewhere ;  at 
times,  but  always  with  inexorable  modesty,  the  experi- 
ence of  the  catechist  himself  may  be  used  as  a  source 
of  argument  (p.  403).  In  all  cases  this  rule  must  be 
observed:  1.  The  argument  must  be  conclusive;  the 
proof   dare  not  be   obtained  by   surreptitious  methods, 


Principles  of  Method  491 

inasmuch  as  the  highest  truth  is  the  object  here  sought, 
and,  likewise,  the  training  of  the  young  for  >  truthful- 
ness, and  the  cultivating  of  the  catechumen's  sense  of 
truth  (p.  244).  If,  in  later  life,  one  proof  after  the  other 
proves  invalid,  the  very  truth  itself  is  in  danger  of 
being  lost.  2.  "Argumenta  non  sunt  numeranda,  sed 
ponderanda."  Especial  caution  is  required  when  cen- 
tral truths  are  to  be  proved,  as  "protects  me  against  all 
danger,  etc.",  "redeemed,  purchased,  and  won  me  from 
all  sins,  etc.",  "not  by  my  own  reason  or  strength", 
and  also  such  points  as  are  under  attack  in  the  present. 
This,  indeed,  does  not  imply  that  the  tenor  of  instruction 
should  become  polemical  or,  at  least,  formally  apologet- 
ical.  What  the  catechist  will  have  to  do,  is  to  develop 
and  inculcate  the  disputed  truth,  whether  it  is  doctrinal 
or  ethical,  more  thoroughly  in  a  positive  manner  than 
commonly,  so  that  the  viciousness  of  this  or  that  false 
ethical  principle  or  doctrine  stands  disclosed  without 
special  effort,  and  is  readily  seen  by  the  children. 
This  is  the  most  effective  method  of  making  them  im- 
mune. In  the  Young  People's  Society,  the  teacher  is 
given  sufficient  scope  to  endow  his  arguments  with  a 
distinctly  apologetic  tenor. 

The  third  element  of  a  correct  catechetical  method, 
additional  to  presentation  and  penetration,  is  application. 
Failure  to  apply  apprehended  truth  to  practical  life  is 
a  general  fault  with  the  mature  congregation.  Knowl- 
edge concerning  the  most  important  doctrinal  and  ethi- 
cal truths  is  there ;  but  it  is  not  put  to  work  in  actual 
life,  so  that  there  is  often  a  great  cleavage  between 
knowledge  and  performance.  For  this  reason  it  becomes 
necessary,  already  when  the  young  are  taught,  to  in- 
veigh with  great  seriousness  and  force  against  the  as- 


492  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

sumption  that  all  is  well  when  the  knowledge  of  God 
that  has  been  acquired  can  be  voiced  in  fine  words ;  or 
even  that  this  is  the  main  thing-.  Rather  should  the  fact 
be  impressed  upon  the  souls  of  the  young  as  deeply  as 
possible  that  instruction  in  religion  has  absolutely  no 
value  for  them,  unless  it  effects  a  transformation  of  the 
whole  life.  Application,  then,  is  intended  as  the  path 
which  leads  from  the  school-house  into  real  life,  and 
not  only  into  real  life  in  general  but  into  the  life  of  the 
children  in  particular.  Application  is  to  show  how  that 
which  has  been  learned  can  and  should  be  applied  in 
life :  create  a  desire  to  do  this,  to  stir  the  will  and  move 
it  to  action.  For  instance,  in  exhibiting  the  characters 
of  Biblical  History,  it  will  behoove  the  catechist  to 
disclose  the  blessed  results  of  their  godly  actions,  the 
baneful  effects  of  their  wicked  conversation ;  the  ulti- 
mate incentives  and  motives  of  their  life,  so  that  the 
young  may  take  pleasure  in  righteousness  and  feel  re- 
pugnance for  wickedness,  and  a  longing  for  the  same 
life-giving  powers  fill  their  hearts.  But  the  teacher 
will  not  be  permitted  to  leave  them  there ;  he  must  take 
them  by  the  hand  and  show  them  how,  in  their  youth- 
ful life,  they  can  as  much  as  lies  in  them  do  that  which 
is  good  and  abstain  from  that  which  is  evil ;  he  will  vi- 
vidly bring  home  to  them  that  it  is  their  holy  duty  to  do 
as  they  have  learned,  and  that,  as  baptized  disciples, 
they  have  received  power  to  do  so,  and  that  in  the  Word 
and  Sacrament  they  have  the  means  for  its  daily  re- 
newal. Matthew  7,  21  must  be  heaped  as  fuel  upon  the 
conscience.  All  stimulation  of  moral  and  religious  in- 
terests is  useless,  and.  in  the  last  analysis,  even  peri- 
lous, unless  the  ethical  and  religious  principles  incul- 
cated are  also  applied.    A  religious  power,  that  is  not  to 


Principles   of  Method  493 

be  put  to  work,  nor  to  be  conducted  into  the  channels 
of  service  to  God  and  man,  had  better  stay  dormant  (pp. 
262  f.  267.  292). 

Fankhauser  (second  ed.  pp.  169  f.)  says  on  this  subject: 
"Application  may  be  compared  to  a  large  electric  search-light. 
The  passage,  the  lesson  from  history,  is  the  flame.  In  the  re- 
flector of  application  we  catch  the  light  and  throw  the  bright  ray 
wherever  we  please.  We  cast  light  upon  the  past  life  of  the 
children  and  reveal  in  its  glow  this  or  that  relation.  In  this 
instance,  did  you  love  your  neighbor  as  yourself?  On  this  or 
that  occasion,  did  you  really  have  God  before  your  eyes  and 
in  your  heart?  Stop  to  think  whether  you  have  not  permitted 
yourselves  to  be  enticed  by  sinners  !  By  such  a  method  the  con- 
science is  awakened,  self-knowledge  is  imparted,  and  by  the 
grace  of  God,  even  contrition  and  desire  for  pardon.  In  the 
childhood  stage  there  is,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  little  profound 
recognition  of  sin.  But  does  that  imply  that  we  should  beware 
of  arousing  it?  By  no  means!  It  will  rather  behoove  us, 
through  the  Word  of  God  and  His  Spirit,  to  open  the  eyes  of 
the  child  to  the  full  extent  of  its  vision.  The  New  Testament 
truth  that  even  the  most  trifling  wrong-doing  is  sin,  must  shine 
into  the  child  heart.  And  recognition  of  sin  drives  one  to  Jesus. 
The  more  the  child  learns  to  love  Jesus  and  to  desire  Him, 
the  deeper  will  grow  its  recognition  of  sin;  and  in  the  same 
proportion  will  grow  the  desire  for  grace  and  the  latter  in- 
crease in  importance  in  the  child's  eyes.— Grace,  however,  is  not 
merely  a  pardoning,  but  just  as  much  a  regenerating,  dynamic, 
manifestation  of  divine  power.  Many  self-satisfied  saints,  alas  ! 
take  a  rest  when  they  have  assured  themselves  of  the  forgiving- 
grace  of  God.  Let  us  never  neglect  to  show  that  the  real  ulti- 
mate aim  of  grace  is  the  making  of  obedient  children  of  God! 
For  this  reason  we  reverse  the  search-light  and  turn  it  upon  the 
life  lying  ahead  of  the  child.  What  would  you  do,  should  you 
be  in  this  or  that  difficulty?  How  should  you  act  if  your  com- 
rade threw  slurs  at  you?  etc.  We  picture  to  the  child  condi- 
tions that,  some  day,  may  really  surround  it,  and  induce  it  to 
determine  for  itself  what  it  should  do  in  such  conditions,  in  order 
to  remain  obedient  to  the  Lord  Jesus.  In  this  way  application 
is  intended  to  cast  light  upon  both  the  past  and  the  future  of  the 


494  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

child's  life :  upon  the  past,  in  order  to  effect  self-knowledge  and 
tenderness  of  conscience;  upon  the  future,  in  order  to  clarify 
the  soul's  eye,  so  that  it  may  see  how  love  to  the  Savior  should 
receive  a  practical  demonstration". 

Inasmuch  as  the  aim  of  religious  instruction  is  not 
the  production  of  merely  momentary  impressions,  but 
the  impartation  of  permanent  possessions,  drilling  in 
the  subjects  taught  and  apprehended  must  be  named  as 
the  final  element  of  a  correct  method.  It  is  true  that 
this  element  must  not  invariably  follow  the  factors  of 
method  already  named :  Beside  the  penetration  of  the 
particular  lesson  a  special  drill  may  be  superfluous,  but 
in  the  whole  process  of  instruction  it  is  indispensable, 
nor  is  it  possible  to  find  a  substitute  for  it  in  the  so- 
called  ''immanent  review''  (p.  454).  While  in  the  treat- 
ment of  some  material  of  instruction,  in  a  particular 
lesson,  the  drill  may  be  superfluous,  it  is  indispensable 
even  there  for  the  purpose  of  a  recapitulation  and  of 
the  weaving  of  the  several  parts  into  an  organic  whole ; 
cp.  p.  325.  Of  course,  the  drill  should  not  be  allowed 
to  degenerate  to  a  mechanical  quiz ;  never  should  the 
catechist  begrudge  the  effort,  by  means  of  free  recapitu- 
lation, inversion,  and  conversion,  to  assure  himself  that 
the  matter  has  been  mentally  assimilated,  and  thus  to 
equip  his  pupil  for  mastery  in  the  use  of  it.  Whole 
series  of  individual  lessons  can  be  placed  under  a  com- 
mon view-point ;  for  instance,  Abraham's  life  under  that 
of  faith  (p.  327)  ;  the  activity  of  Jesus  under  that  of  the 
prophet  and  deliverer  from  sin,  death,  and  devil  (p.  336), 
or  under  "faith  as  the  only  condition  of  entering  His 
kingdom"  (p.  336).  In  catechetical  instruction  so- 
called  catechetical  "excursions"  are  practicable,  upon 
which  important  conceptions  are  traced  through  the 
whole  Catechism,  special  attention  being  paid  meanwhile 


Principles  of  Method  495 

to  the  shades  of  difference  the  conceptions  receive  from 
the  connection  in  which  they  are  found.  Such  excursions, 
naturally,  can  be  successfully  undertaken  only  where, 
after  the  completion  of  the  daily  lessons  as  well  as 
larger  sections,  recapitulation  and  drill  have  already 
done  their  part.  The  rule  to  be  followed  is :  "When  a 
review  has  become  a  necessity,  it  is  already  too  late". — 
In  connection  with  this  whole  chapter  compare  also 
chapters  34 — 36. 

The  Herbart-Ziller  School  advocates  the  theory  of 
the  Formal  Steps,  according-  to  which  every  lesson 
should  be  carried  over  five  steps:  (1)  preparation  (a. 
statement  of  aim,  b.  preparation  proper),  (2)  presen- 
tation (a.  presentation  of  facts,  b.  penetration),  (3)  as- 
sociation or  combination  (comparison,  and  abstrac- 
tion), (4)  generalization,  (5)  application  according 
to  Rein).  It  must  be  conceded  that  these  grades  con- 
form to  the  process  of  mental  acquisition  as  it  actually 
unfolds;  for  here  the  faculties  in  operation  are  apper- 
ception (preparation  and  presentation)  and  abstraction 
(association  and  generalization)  ;  cp.  p.  234.  It  will  be 
highly  necessary,  therefore,  for  the  beginner  to  ask  him- 
self whether  he  always  prepares  his  subject  well;  whe- 
ther he  presents  it  well ;  whether  he  always  combines  the 
part  with  the  whole;  whether  he  carefully  collects  the 
moments  gained  in  the  preceding  steps  into  a  brief, 
pregnant,  generalizing  statement;  whether  he  properly 
applies  the  truth  derived  to  the  life  of  the  children.  Not- 
withstanding, when  this  "step  theory"  is  applied  to  every 
kind  of  material  and  every  single  lesson  in  all  branches, 
the  peculiar  nature  of  the  material  is  overlooked,  usually 
with  the  result  that  the  manner  of  teaching  becomes 
strained  or  severely  mechanical.     Ziller  himself  did  not 


496  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

hesitate  to  affirm  that  "partition  according  to  the  'for- 
mal steps'  is  inapplicable  where  the  material  is  already 
of  a  "conceptional  nature",  and  has  a  trend 
preponderatingly  doctrinal".  The  "step  theory"  is  well 
adapted  to  historic  material.  But  even  here  the  question 
is  in  place  whether  we  had  not  better  content  ourselves 
with  the  three  steps  preferred  by  Doerpfeld:  1.  Pre- 
sentation for  the  purpose  of  intuition;  2.  Penetration  by 
means  of  the  thinking  capacity ;~  3.  Application  to  the 
life  of  the  pupil,  provided  only  that  the  true  and  neces- 
sary feature  intended  to  be  brought  out  in  the  steps  of 
"combination"  and  "generalization"  are  permitted  to 
come  to  their  own.  These  steps  of  Doerpfeld  correspond 
to  what  has  above  been  said  concerning  presentation, 
penetration,  and  application ;  for  there  is  no  doubt  that 
these  three  are  inseparable  from  instruction  as  a  whole, 
though   they   need  not   be  in  evidence  in  every  lesson. 

33.     The  Method  According  to  its  Outward  Form. 

G.  v.  Zezschwitz  II,  2 :  Die  Katechese  oder  die  kirchliche 
Unterrichtsform,  1872.— L.  Kraussold,  Katechetik  (pp.  358—421). 
21880.— J.  Gottsschick  (pp.  163—175),  1908.— G.  H.  Gerberding, 
Lutheran  Catechist  (pp.  103—109),  1910.— J.  H.  Herzer,  Kate- 
chetik (pp.  174 — 304),  1911. — J.  Schmarje,  Das  katechetische 
Lehrverfahren  auf  psychologischer  Grundlage,  21892. — O. 
Schoenhuth,  Methodenlehre  fuer  den  Unterricht  in  der  Reli- 
gion, 1904.— W.  F.  Young,  The  Art  of  Putting  Questions,  1895. 
—J.  G.  Fitch,  The  Art  of  Questioning,  1897.— R.  Stevens,  The 
Question  as  a  Means  of  Efficiency  in  Instruction,  1912. 

When  the  principles  governing  the  method  of  cate- 
chetical instruction  have  been  laid  down,  nothing  has  as 
yet  been  settled  in  regard  to  its  outward  form ;  and  yet, 
it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  right  form  of 
instruction  shall  have  been  selected  if  the  results  looked 
for  are  to  be  achieved.     Didactic  science  in  general  dis- 


The  Method  According  to  Its  Outward  Form  497 

tinguishes  between  the  acroamatic,  or  lecture,  form  and 
the  erotematic,  or  interrogatory,  form.  It  was  a  mis- 
take that  the  acroamatic  was  the  exclusive  form  of 
religious  instruction  down  to  the  days  of  rationalism  (so 
far  as  the  question  was  at  all  in  evidence,  it  was  strictly 
examinational  and  confessional ;  pietism  added  the  ana- 
lytical question,  which,  however,  differed  essentially  but 
little  from  the  former  (p.  149).  Quite  as  great,  or,  con- 
sidered from  the  standpoint  of  principle,  even  greater, 
was  the  mistake  of  the  Socratic  method  in  dispensing 
with  the  acroamatic  form  altogether  (p.  158),  and  con- 
fining itself  strictly  to  the  erotematic  form ;  for  a  mere- 
ly cursory  examination  of  the  nature  of  the  catechetical 
material  as  well  as  the  catechumen's — the  only  spheres 
that  can  contribute  to  the  solution  of  the  question — 
proves  the  necessity   for  both   forms. 

The  acroamatic  form  is  required  both  by  the  nature 
of  the  material  and  that  of  the  catechumen,  and  this 
for  the  same  reason  which  requires  presentation  to  be  an 
element  of  the  method.  But  the  other  elements  of  the 
method,  too,  require  now  and  then  this  form,  even 
while  the  questioning  is  in  full  swing.  The 
erotematic  form  is  required,  not  so  much  by  the  pecu- 
liarity of  the  material  as  by  that  of  the  catechumen. 
The  effort  of  following  closely  the  unbroken  lecture 
of  the  teacher  would  be  too  great  for  him ;  he 
would  lose  both  interest  and  attention,  which, 
in  turn,  would  tend  to  shut  out  genuine  psychical  influ- 
ence. The  second  form  of  teaching,  on  the  other  hand — 
the  erotematic  one,  compels  and  enables  the  children  to 
be  attentive,  encourages  them  to  co-operate  with  the 
teacher,  and  establishes  a  status  of  mental  reciprocity 
between  the  catechist  and  the  catechumens    whereby  the 


498  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

Christian  view  of  life  is  so  furthered  on  the  part  of  the 
latter  as  to  result  in  a  wholesome  mental  discipline. 
Moreover,  the  question  put  to  the  child  and  the  expecta- 
tion of  an  answer,  connotes  confidence  in  its  judgment, 
while,  at  the  same  time,  an  opportunity  is  given,  by  the 
formulation  of  an  answer,  to  furnish,  in  its  own  words, 
the  evidence  that  the  subject  has  been  mastered;  and, 
when  the  question  is  designed  to  elicit  a  confession,  that 
the  attitude  of  the  heart  toward  it  is  right.  As  to  the 
catechist,  he  can  not  control  the  mental  co-operation  of 
the  children  until  he  begins  to  ply  them  with  questions. 
Every  answer  received  serves  as  an  incentive  for  him 
to  descend  more  fully  to  the  level  of  the  children  and 
enables  him  to  teach  and  to  hold  the  attention  of  children 
of  various  degrees  of  mental  capacity ;  misunderstand- 
ings can  be  recognized  and  corrected  at  once ;  and  whole 
classes  can  successfully  be  taught  at  the  same  time. 
A  mistake  though  it  is,  accordingly,  to  find  the  erote- 
matic  form  implied  in  the  very  word  Kar-qxelv  (p.  3), 
it  is  anything  but  a  mistake  to  conclude  that  the  nature 
of  the  catechumen  and  practical  pedagogic  considera- 
tions urgently  require  the  erotematic  form  of  teach- 
ing. Nor  is  it  exclusively  the  examinational  and  its 
subordinate  species,  the  confessional,  question  which  is 
required,  but  rather  the  didactic  question. 

The  proper  combination  of  the  acroamatic  and  ero- 
tematic forms  of  teaching  is  the  true  method.  Both 
forms  are  likely  to  be  found  in  nearly  every  catechiza- 
tion,  although  the  one  which  happens  to  preponderate 
impresses  its  character  upon  the  catechization.  Where 
a  certain  truth  may  be  taken  for  granted,  a  mere  refer- 
ence to  it  being  sufficient ;  where  tasks  are  imposed  upon 
the  thinking  faculty ;  and  where  a  thought  is  to  be  in- 


The  Method  According  to  Its  Outward  Form  499 

dependently  developed  by  means  of  a  conclusion,  that 
is,  above  all,  though  not  only  here,  in  connection  with 
"penetration",  the  erotematic  form  is  to  be  employed; 
in  other  cases  the  acroamatic  form  will  predominate. 

Since,  then,  catechetical  instruction  demands  the  use 
of  the  question,  the  question  must  be  considered  as  to 
its  nature,  its  various  kinds,  and  its  essential  attributes. 

As  far  as  the  nature  of  the  catechetical  question  is 
concerned,  and  of  the  question  in  general,  an  evolution 
ranging  over  almost  a  hundred  years  was  necessary  be- 
fore it  had  reached  the  stage  of  a  clear  and  precise  con- 
cept. At  first  the  question  was  defined  as  an  incomplete 
sentence  to  be  completed  by  the  person  addressed.  Din- 
ter  went  so  far  as  to  say  :  "The  question  arises  when 
I  leave  out  one  or  several  parts  of  the  sentence  and  re- 
quire of  the  person  addressed  that  he  should  supply  the 
missing  parts".  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  only  too  many 
questions  of  this  character  are  indeed  formulated   (for 

instance.   For  God  so  loved  ;  God  is  ?). 

This,  however,  does  not  make  them  real  questions.  No, 
the  question  is,  grammatically,  a  complete  sentence, 
containing  all  its  essential  elements — ,  subject  as  well 
as  predicate;  for  instance,  Who  has  created  the  world? 
The  truth  was  more  closely  approximated  when  it  was 
said  that  the  question  is  an  incomplete  judgment,  to  be 
made  complete  by  the  person  required  to  answer.  What 
had  made  possible  this  definition  was  the  observation 
that  it  has  its  own  subject  and  predicate,  occasionally 
also  an  object,  etc.;  but  that  it  is  devoid  of  content, 
which,  when  found,  completes  the  judgment.  However, 
that  the  question  becomes  a  judgment  through  the  ad- 
dition of  the  missing  content,  does  not  prove  that  it  is 
a  judgment  before  that,  incomplete  though  it  be.     It  is 


500  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

true,  however,  that  the  question  is  based  upon  a  judg- 
ment—a fact  that  becomes  evident  as  soon  as  an  in- 
definite pronoun  is  substituted  for  an  interrogative  pro- 
noun; for  instance,  "someone  has  made  the  world"  for 
"who  has  made  the  world?"'  But  in  the  process  of  chang- 
ing the  judgment  into  the  interrogatory  form  it  ceases 
to  be  such  in  form,  having  become  a  demand  upon  the 
person  questioned  to  form  a  judgment  for  his  part,  and 
thereby  more  fully  to  define  the  undefined  judgment  on 
which  the  question  is  based.  If  but  a  part  of  the  judg- 
ment on  which  the  question  is  based  has  been  left  inde- 
finite, the  object  must  be  to  more  fully  define  that  part; 
if  the  whole  judgment  has  been  left  indefinite,  the  ob- 
ject must  be  to  decide,  that  is,  either  to  affirm  or  deny  the 
judgment.  And  because  a  sentence  is  outwardly  dis- 
closed as  a  question  through  the  tone  or  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  words,  the  definition  is  warranted :  The 
question  is  a  demand  expressed  in  the  interrogatory  sen- 
tence itself  through  the  tone  and  the  verbal  arrangement 
to  form  a  judgment,  and  thus  either  more  closely  to 
define  the  judgment  upon  wrhich  the  question  is  based  in 
regard  to  the  part  left  undefined,  or  to  affirm  or  deny 
the  judgment  as  a  whole.  The  judgment  solicited  from 
the  catechumen  (that  is,  the  closer  definition  of  the 
indefinite  judgment  upon  which  the  question  is  based, 
or  the  decision  as  regards  its  correctness  or  incorrect- 
ness) is  called  the  "quaesitum  quaestionis",  in  distinc- 
tion from  the  "datum  quaestionis",  whereby  we  under- 
stand the  fulcrum  supplied  to  the  person  questioned 
either  in  the  form  of  the  question  itself  or  through  the 
development  culminating  in  the  question.  Upon  this 
"datum  quaestionis"  the  pupil  takes  his  stand  with  his 
thinking  faculty  as   the  basis   from   where  to   find   the 


The  Method  According  to  Its  Outward  Form  501 

"quaesitum".  When  the  question  calls  for  the  formation 
of  a  judgment,  the  "datum"  of  the  question,  it  is  tanta- 
mount to  the  major  premise  of  the  syllogism.  It  must 
be  clear,  then,  that  much  depends  upon  the  right  rela- 
tion between  the  "datum"  and  the  "quaesitum"  of  the 
question. 

The  correct  definition  of  the  question  suggests  its 
several  kinds:  When  in  the  judgment  prompting  the 
question  only  a  part  of  the  whole  has  been  left  unde- 
fined, there  arise  the  so-called  defining  questions,  less 
aptly  called  also  supplementing  questions.  But  if  the 
whole  judgment  has  been  left  indefinite,  it  remains  to 
decide  the  validity  of  the  judgment  by  affirming  or 
denying  it :  thus  arise  the  deciding  questions,  also  called 
yes  and  no  questions.  Concerning  the  essence  of  the 
question  there  are  no  other  questions  than  those  named 
above,  but  they  may  be  variously  applied.  Thus  we  can 
speak  of  causal,  final,  relation,  comparison,  preparatory, 
auxiliary,  questions,  etc. 

The  defining  question  can  be  distinguished  by  the 
more  outward  form  from  the  deciding  question :  in  the 
former  the  interrogative  pronoun,  in  the  latter  the  pre- 
dicate or  a  part  of  the  predicate  begins  the  sentence. 
Whiie  the  distinction  here  made  applies  to  all  questions, 
no  matter  what  the  sphere,  it  certainly  applies  also  to 
the  didactic  question  which  alone  concerns  us  here.  This 
question  distinguishes  itself  from  others  that  may  be  put 
during  the  process  of  catechetical  instruction,  as  the 
question  for  information,  the  recitation  question,  the 
rhetorical  question,  etc.,  in  that  it  is  not  put  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  questioner  but  of  the  one  questioned,  whose 
knowledge  and  judgment  are  to  be  furthered. 

Every    species    of    didactic    question,    the    defining 


502  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

question  as  well  as  the  deciding  question,  is,  from  the 
aspect  of  its  content,  either  examinational  or  develop- 
ing. The  examinational  question,  to  be  carefully  dis- 
tinguished from  the  recitation  question,  will  always 
arise  when  assurance  is  sought  that  something  has  really 
become  the  mental  possession  of  the  catechumen,  sub- 
ject henceforth  to  his  bidding.  This  question  is,  there- 
fore, in  place  in  the  drill  and  at  the  examination  proper. 
The  developing  question,  on  the  other  hand,  is  in  place 
especially  in  connection  with  penetration,  though  not  ex- 
clusively here.  This  is  the  question  which  predomi- 
nates by  far  in  catechetical  instruction.  The  confession- 
al question,  which  is  sometimes  treated  as  a  distinct  spe- 
cies, must  be  subordinated  to  the  examinational  ques- 
tion. 

But  when  is  the  question  to  take  the  form  of  the 
defining  question,  and  when  the  form  of  the  deciding 
question?  The  deciding,  or  so-called  "yes  and  no" 
questions  have  a  peculiar  history.  Both  orthodoxism 
and  pietism  treated  them  as  the  normal  catechetical 
questions,  while  the  Socratic  School  rejected  them  as 
altogether  useless,  on  the  ground  that  they  failed  to 
stimulate  mental  effort.  Both  went  to  extremes.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  the  defining  question  should  be  employed 
with  greatest  frequency ;  for  the  too  frequent  use  of  the 
"yes  and  no"  questions  will  result  in  obtuseness,  rather 
than  in  stimulation  and  training  for  mental  co-opera- 
tion ;  but  they  cannot  be  dispensed  with  altogether. 
Where  there  is  an  occasion  that  does  not  call  for  the  de- 
velopment of  a  thought,  but  is  rather  intended  to  elicit  a 
concession  which,  in  turn,  is  to  serve  as  the  premise  for 
further  conclusions  or  as  the  foundation  for  a  larger 
mental  structure;  still  more,  where  a  moral  decision  on 


The  Method  According  to  Its  Outward  Form  503 

the  part  of  the  catechumen  is  the  object  in  view — where 
a  confession  or  a  vow  is  to  be  made ;  and,  likewise,  where 
the  catechumen  is  endowed  with  sufficient  mental  matur- 
ity at  once  to  substantiate  his  yes  or  no  with  a  proof — 
there  this  species  of  question  is  in  place.  To  reject  it  al- 
together would  imply  a  failure  to  recognize  the  con- 
versational character'  of  catechization.  The  beginner 
should  indeed  avoid  its  use  as  much  as  possible,  lest 
he  should  use  it  at  the  wrong  place.  The  defining  ques- 
tions, in  this  as  in  every  case,  are  the  best. 

But,  to  be  effective,  a  question  must  possess  certain 
definite  attributes.  Which  are  they?  Our  question  is 
best  answered  by  a  reference  to  the  purpose  of  the 
question.  Each  question  is  put  for  the  purpose  of  ob- 
taining an  answer  in  harmony  with  its  purpose;  but 
every  question  also  aims  to  bring  the  pupil  nearer  to  his 
goal.  Unless  the  catechumen  has  understood  his  teach- 
er correctly,  no  answer  in  harmony  with  the  purpose  can 
be  expected.  Accordingly,  the  question  should  be  clear, 
unambiguous,  and  perspicuous.  I  cannot  come  one  step 
nearer  to  the  goal  with  my  question  unless  it  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  plan  of  the  whole  and  with  the  material 
immediately  preceding.  Perspicuity  and  appropriate- 
ness are  accordingly  the  most  necessary  attributes  of  a 
good  question. 

Perspicuity  is  required  both  in  a  grammatical  and  in 
a  logical  sense.  In  the  grammatical,  as  in  the  formal 
sense  in  general,  a  question,  in  order  to  be  perspicuous, 
should  possess  1.  conformity  to  linguistic,  usage;  that  is, 
the  catechist  must  come  down  to  the  mental  capacity 
and  vocabulary  of  the  children  and,  at  the  same  time, 
be  intent  upon  augmenting,  raising  and  ennobling  this. 
He   should   cultivate  popular   every-day  language  in   a 


504  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

noble  sense;  but  every-day  language  in  an  ignoble  sense 
he  should  neither  permit  nor  himself  use.  Above  all,  he 
should  beware  of  the  use  of  technical  terms  of  which  he 
is  not  sure  that  the  children  understand  them ;  2.  cor- 
rectness of  speech  as  found  in  the  proper  combination 
and  arrangement  of  words.  As  a  case  in  point,  he  will 
refrain  from  putting  the  interrogative  too  often  at  the 
end  of  the  sentence.  Failure  to  formulate  the  question  as 
a  complete  sentence  is  intolerable ;  for  instance,  Honor 

thy  ?     That  would  tend  to  degrade  the  children  to 

parrots  and  the  teacher  to  their  trainer,  all  the  more,  if 
he  should  smooth  the  way  to  the  answer  by  putting  the 
initial  letter  of  the  expected  word  upon  the  lips  of  the 
child.  On  the  same  level  with  the  impropriety  just  cen- 
sured is  the  other,  which  cannot  be  criticized  too  severe- 
ly, of  interspersing  certain  words  or  phrases,  or  even 
inarticulate  sounds,  without  sense  and  reason  between 
syllables  or  clauses,  as,  now,  and,  but,  then,  etc.  3. 
smoothness  of  expression.  A  question  may  have  been 
formed  in  perfect  accordance  with  the  rules  of  gram- 
mar, and  yet  possess  a  form  which  prevents  its  being 
perspicuous  to  the  child.  Instead  of  being  simple,  it  is 
complex  and  heavy.  The  question  should  be  simple  in 
regard  to  syntax — a  principle  which  rules  out  long- 
winded  periods,  in  fact,  periods  had  best  be  absent  alto- 
gether. It  should  be  simple  also  in  point  of  content ; 
that  is,  the  question  dare  not  be  really  two  in  one,  re- 
quiring a  double  answer,  or  an  answer  that  requires  the 
simultaneous  forming  of  two  judgments  ;  for  instance, 
Who  made  the  world  out  of  what?  If  such  a  dou- 
ble question  is  at  all  permissible,  it  is  only  with  more 
mature  children  in  the  interest  of  brevity.  Perspicuous 
in  regard  to  form,  the  question  should  be  perspicuous 


The  Method  According  to  Its  Outward  Form  505 

also  logically,  or  in  point  of  content.  The  teacher  him- 
self must  be  perfectly  clear  concerning  the  substance  of 
his  question,  not  merely  in  general,  but  down  to  the  last 
detail ;  and  the  question  as  formulated  by  him  must  ex- 
press just  what  is  to  be  said.  Nowhere  is  superficiality 
and  partial  mastery  more  mischievous  than  here.  Not 
until  he  became  a  catechist,  did  many  a  man,  by  daily 
grappling  with  the  task  in  the  schoolroom,  learn  what 
is  meant  by  a  thorough  and  all-sided  mastery  of  a 
subject  and  its  precise  formulation  as  a  concept.  Only 
as  precise  expression  is  cultivated  in  the  formulation  of 
the  question,  can  the  child  be  spared  the  necessity  of 
making  choice  among  the  several  answers  that  fit  the 
question,  instead  of  being  led  by  it  to  the  only  one  which 
is  possible. 

This  leads  us  to  the  second  chief  attribute  of  a 
good  question,  that  of  appropriateness,  which  does  not 
only  mean  the  adaptation  of  the  question  to  the  capacity, 
the  age,  etc.,  of  the  catechumens,  but  also  to  the  train 
of  thought  of  which  it  is  a  member.  Nothing  alien 
should  be  introduced  with  the  question  into  the  steady 
development  of  the  thought,  as  that  would  have  the 
effect  of  deflecting  the  child's  attention.  Nor  should  any 
question  be  asked  for  which  the  postulate  is  not  found 
in  what  has  preceded.  In  short,  everything  contrary 
to  a  development  step  by  step  must  be  avoided.  The 
preceding  development  must  supply  the  fulcrum  upon 
which  the  child,  in  its  search  for  an  answer,  may  take 
its  position,  and  from  which  the  correct  answer  becomes 
not  only  a  possibility  but  also  a  goal  within  reach.  It 
is  quite  likely  that,  in  normal  conditions,  the  larger  part 
of  wrong  answers  can  be  traced  to  the  failure  to  adjust 
the  "quaesitum  quaestions"  and  the  "datum  quaestions" ; 


506  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

that  is,  to  inappropriateness.  If  consideration  for  the 
children  should,  at  any  time,  have  led  to  a  digression, 
it  is  best,  by  a  few  comprehensive  sentences,  to  re-es- 
tablish the  connection  with  the  main  thought.  What  we 
have  said  of  appropriateness  does  not  apply  with  the 
same  force  to  the  examinational  question :  this  must  fre- 
quently omit  subordinate  points  and  must  not  again  be- 
come a  developing  question. 

Finally  it  must  be  noted  here  that  the  question 
should,  as  a  rule,  be  addressed  to  all  the  children.  That 
arouses  attention.  But  never  should  the  answer  be  given 
by  all  the  children  in  unison;  for  such  expedient  would 
lead  to  the  banishment  of  dignity  from  the  schoolroom. 
When  the  catechist  directs  the  whole  class  to  repeat  an 
answer  just  received  from  one  child,  this  danger  is  not 
incurred.  WThen  the  subject  is  of  special  moment,  such 
a  measure  is  even  heartily  recommended.  It  is  also  ad- 
visable that  the  questioner,  during  the  process  of  ques- 
tioning, should  occupy  a  stable  posture  in  sight  of  the 
children,  so  that  he  may  never  lose  their  attention.  Arti- 
ficiality and  stiffness,  to  be  sure,  are  to  be  avoided. 

Inasmuch  as  many  sins  are  committed  against  the  laws 
underlying  the  formulation  of  questions,  we  add,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  clarifying  the  judgment  and  training  the  eye  for  the 
discovery  of  one's  own  faults,  a  number  of  questions,  almost 
all  of  which  are  to  be  condemned  as  defective  or  altogether 
wrong:  The  First  Commandment  forbids  what? — When  one 
worships  anything  else  but  God,  we  call  it  what? — Since  you 
yourself  do  not  merit  the  grace  of  God,  upon  what,  when  you 
repent  of  your  sins  while  desiring  forgiveness  of  the  same,  do 
you  hope  to  base  your  confidence? — What  kind  of  being  must  he 
be  who  governs  the  world,  which  contains  so  many  beings  of 
which  each  one  has  a  will  of  its  own,  and  so  many  million  heav- 
enly bodies,  many  of  which  are  much  larger  than  our  earth? — 
Who  created  the  world,  and  who  preserves  it? — Who  fulfills  the 
Seventh  Commandment  better,  he  who  steals  or  he  who  does  not 


The  Method  According  to  Its  Outward  Form  307 

steal? — Which  is  the  greater  sin,  to  steal  or  to  be  poor? — When 
you  are  once  in  heaven,  shall  you,  too,  be  blessed? — How  may 
one  guard  against  the  sufferings  that  have  come  upon  him. — Who 
died  on  Calvary? — What  did  Jesus  redeem? — What  has  de- 
stroyed sin? — What  has  procured  for  us  redemption? — What 
does  the  Christian  do  when  he  is  in  trouble? — What  is  God 
in  comparison  with  man? — Whom  did  God  send  into  the  world? 
— When  did  Christ  die? — Luther  was  born  where? — The  Law 
was  given  when? — What  does  this  lesson  treat  of?.  (Of  Abra- 
ham.)— Jordan  flows  into  .  .  .  ? — Capernaum  is  situated  on 
.  .  .  ? — Then  Joseph  could  no  longer?  (Refrain  himself.) — 
What  must  the  oath  not?  (Be  broken.) — What  must  man  not 
do  wilfully?  (Court  danger.) — When  did  Alexander  desire  to 
make  peace? — What  did  Frederic,  after  serious  reflection,  un- 
able to  reconcile  himself  to  the  loss  of  Saxony,  decide  to  do, 
although  he  knew  of  Daun's  strong  position?  (At  once  to  at- 
tack.)— Where  is  Jerusalem  situated? — What  are  we  on  earth? 
— What  peoples  did  the  Romans  conquer? — What  kind  of  faith 
did  A.  H.  Francke  have  when  he  performed  his  works  of  love? 
(An  active  faith.) — When  John  lay  in  prison,  he  thought  what? 
— When  you  think  of  God's  government  of  the  world,  He  im- 
presses you  as  what? — Judas,  in  leading  the  enemies  to  Christ, 
was  guilty  of  be  .  .  .  ? — Peter,  declaring  that  he  did  not  know 
Him,  was  guilty  of  de  .  .  .  ? — What  must  everyone  be  that 
wants  to  be  a  Christian?  (Baptized.) — What  can  a  man  not  do 
for  his  life?  (Ransom  it.) — What  should  married  people  never? 
(Forsake  each  other  and  separate.) — What  must  this  promise 
not  be?  (Broken. )— When  you  want  to  make  children  happy, 
you  must?  (Give  them  something.) — All  the  creatures  of  God, 
in  what  will  He  hold  them?  (In  honor.) — If  it  were  true  that 
the  world  has  not  been  created,  what  would  it  have  to  be? 
(Eternal.) — In  what  circumstances  can  one  not  reap  when  he  is 
old? — When  is  it  allowed  to  kill? — What  are  departed  human 
beings,  even  animals,  by  the  heathen?  (Worshipped.) — Why 
are  the  good  works  of  the  heathen,  no  matter  how  good,  no 
good  works? — What  do  you  call  the  man  who  is  even  more  fru- 
gal than  the  frugal?  (A  miser.) — Which  commandment  makes 
a  demand  upon  us  regarding  the  honor  of  the  neighbor? — What 
is  the  difference  between  the  frugal  man  and  the  miser  in  regard 
to  benevolence? — Whereby  was  the  unfortunate  man  aided?  (By 


508  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  Samaritan.) — Since  only  those  are  true  Christians  who.  in 
view  of  their  Baptism,  remain  true  to  their  faith,  what  does 
it  mean  to  believe  in  God? — Who  is  subject  to  the  penalty  of 
decay?  (The  body.) — Whereby  did  God  most  gloriously  reveal 
Himself?  (Through  Christ.) — Wherein  should  we  take  our  re- 
fuge? (In  God.) — What  do  we  sin  against  when  we  steal? 
(Against  God.) — How  did  the  Israelites  eat  the  quail?  (Raw, 
immoderately.) — What  is  the  real  destiny  of  man? — What  works 
contrition  in  man? — What  does  the  sick  man  feel  in  regard  to 
health?  (Desire.) — What  did  Jesus  do  after  being  baptized  in 
Jordan? — Who  smiled  upon  Greece?  (An  ever  blue  sky.) — 
What  kind  of  disposition  should  we  possess  if  we  wish  to  be- 
come like  God? — On  which  day  did  Jesus  die?  (On  a  Friday.) 
— On  what  day  did  Jesus  die?  (On  the  fourteenth  day  of  the 
month  Nisan  or  on  Good  Friday.) — Why  should  we  do  good 
works?  (To  prove  our  faith  therewith.) — Why  should  we  do 
good  works?  (Because  we  owe  God  thanks  for  His  mercies 
upon  us.) — Therefore  we  should  earnestly  seek  to  remain  true 
what? — Therewith  Jesus  means  to  tell  His  disciples  that  who 
stood  bodily  before  them? — The  devil  goes  about  like  a 
r  .  .  .  rr  .  .  .  ? — What  did  the  sermon  of  Peter  produce  upon 
the  visitors  at  the  feast?  (A  deep  impression.) — What,  accord- 
ing to  the  Third  Commandment,  is  to  be  kept  holy? — Who  es- 
pecially has  seriously  sinned  against  Jesus? — What  was  Lu- 
ther?— How  many  men  are  sinners? — What  is  the  first  thing  we 
do,  and  what  is  sin? — What  kind  of  people  does  Jesus  not  have  in 
view  when  He  speaks  of  the  poor  in  spirit,  and  what  kind  of 
people  does  He  have  in  view? — Which  is  the  surest  way  to 
heaven? — What  did  Jesus  give  up  when  He  hung  upon  the 
cross? — For  which  blessing  have  we  reason  to  thank  God  every 
morning  when  we  are  privileged  to  rise  hale  and  hearty?  (For 
good  health.) — Is  the  bad  conscience  an  agreeable  or  a  dis- 
agreeable feeling? — How  many  gods  are  there? — What  man 
is  not  mortal? — Does  prayer  really  give  powers  which  we  could 
not  have  obtained  without? — Was  the  suffering  of  Job  a  retri- 
bution or  a  test  or  a  testimony? — Would  you  have  the  confidence 
in  yourselves  to  remain  more  steadfast  than  Peter  in  view  of 
such  a  temptation? — If  Jesus  should  ask  you,  "Will  ye  also  go 
away?",  what  would  your  answer  be? 

How  is  the  following  series  of  questions  to  be  judged  from 


The  Method  According  to  Its  Outward  Form  509 

the  standpoint  of  the  developing  eatechization?  The  question 
under  consideration  is:  "What  does  it  mean  to  fear  God?" 
Acting  under  the  presumption  that  the  pupil  cannot  at  once 
answer  this  main  question,  the  catechist  puts  the  following  lead- 
ing questions  :  "1.  An  ohed'ient  child  does  not  have  to  be  in 
fear  of  its  father.  When  the  father  commands  anything,  how 
does  it  act  toward  such  command?  It  carries  out  the  com- 
mand.— 2.  But  what  is  its  attitude  when  the  father  forbids  some- 
thing? It  keeps  trom  doing  what  the  father  forbids. — 3.  That 
is  the  way  an  obedient  child  acts.  But  alas  !  there  are  children 
that  do  not  do  what  the  father  wants  them  to  do.  What  are  such 
children  called?  They  are  called  disobedient. — 4.  No  good 
father  can  overlook  the  child's  disobedience.  What  is  it  that  the 
child  must  expect  in  consequence  of  it?  It  has  to  expect  pun- 
ishment.— 5.  From  this  you  see  what  a  child  has  to  look  for 
from  its  father  when  it  fears  him.  When  a  child  fears  its  father, 
it  looks  for  punishment  from  him. — 6.  Punishment  for  what? 
For  its  disobedience. — 7.  Now  give  me,  in  a  complete  sentence, 
an  answer  to  the  question  :  'What  do  we  mean  when  we  say  :  a 
disobedient  child  fears  its  father.  We  mean :  It  looks  for 
punishment  for   its   disobedience   from   its   father'.". 

The  material  point  of  gravity  in  the  catechetical  dia- 
logue is  found  in  the  answers.  To  obtain  answers  :  cor- 
rect answers — in  agreement  with  the  question  in  point 
of  form  and  content ;  true  answers — given  not  by  acci- 
dent, but  the  result  of  reflection ;  correctly  worded  an- 
swers, if  at  all  possible — this  is  the  purpose  behind  the 
question.  Questions  are  intended  to  serve  as  evidence  of 
the  understanding  and  judgment  of  the  child ;  and,  here 
and  there,  they  serve  also  the  purpose  of  eliciting  a  con- 
fession. But  inasmuch  as  the  answer  received  is  often 
wrong,  untrue,  or  faulty,  and,  here  and  there,  not  even 
forthcoming,  there  arises  the  question  as  to  the  treat- 
ment of  answers.  Always  to  find  the  right  method  in  this 
respect,  presupposes  skill,  presence  of  mind,  and  a  tho- 
rough mastery  of  the  subject  and  of  self. 

If     the     answer     is     correct,     let    the     questioning 


510  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

proceed  forthwith,  unless  there  is  occasion  for  a  pause 
because  the  results  already  attained  require  formulation 
or,  possibly,  an  interspersed  word  of  encourage- 
ment or  exhortation  is  needed.  A  word  of  commenda- 
tion put  in  here  and  there  is  quite  in  place  in  the  case  of 
timidity,  or  when  the  catechist  sees  that  he  has  pre- 
viously reproached  the  pupil  too  severely  for  having 
given  no  answer  or  a  faulty  one.  Otherwise  too  many 
words  of  commendation  are  to  be  avoided;  for,  if  the 
question  was  clear  and  to  the  point,  a  correct  answer 
should  naturally  be  looked  for — a  fact  which  the  child 
should  be  taught  and  trained  to  understand.  If  another 
method  is  chosen,  there  is  danger  of  cultivating  the  false 
ambition  slumbering  in  the  child.  While  the  individu- 
ality of  each  child  should  receive  due  consideration — 
and  no  catechist  can  afford  to  remain  indifferent  to  such 
an  important  factor — this  must  remain  the  rule :  The 
catechist  should  produce  the  conviction  in  the  pupil  that 
the  question  of  the  teacher  is  always  appropriate;  that 
it  is  never  too  exacting;  and  that  it  is  his  manifest  duty 
to  give  a  correct  answer.  In  that  case,  to  be  sure,  he 
must  be  exacting  toward  himself,  in  that  he  sees  to  it 
that  his  questions  are  in  every  way  perspicuous  and  ap- 
propriate. This  demand  becomes  a  challenge  for  self- 
examination,  especially  when  the  answer  received  is 
wrong  or  faulty,  or  when  the  question  remains  unan- 
swered. If  the  resultant  self-examination  leads  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  pupil's  failure  is  explained  by  that  of 
the  teacher,  let  the  question  be  repeated  in  a  perspicuous 
and  appropriate  manner;  let  the  teacher  even  retrace  his 
steps  a  little,  in  order  to  give  the  pupil  the  necessary 
basis.  If  even  then  no  answer  be  given,  a  word  of  en- 
couragement is  in  place,  or  the  teacher  should  pass  on 


The  Method  According  to  Its  Outward  Form  511 

to  another.  Stubbornly  to  insist  on  squeezing  an  answer 
out  of  the  child,  is  altogether  wrong.  But  if  no  progress 
is  made  with  the  whole  class,  the  catechist  must  once 
more  find  the  fault  in  himself  and  make  another  at- 
tempt, by  endeavoring  to  come  down  into  the  concept 
sphere  of  the  child  and  to  cultivate  the  simplest  of  lan- 
guage. This  is  true  of  the  developing  question  in  par- 
ticular. If  that  is  in  every  way  distinct  and  appropri- 
ate and  again  and  again  elicits  a  wrong  answer,  the  fault 
is  in  most  cases  to  be  found  in  a  lack  of  attention  and 
concentration  on  the  part  of  the  pupil.  In  that  case  a 
short,  earnest  word  of  reproof  is  quite  in  place.  On  the 
occasion  of  a  simple  quiz  or  a  drill,  and  especially  in 
connection  with  the  examinational  question,  failure  to 
receive  an  acceptable  answer  to  a  question  in  every  way 
distinct  and  appropriate,  unless  occasioned  by  a  lesson 
of  inordinate  length  or  by  a  lack  of  proper  presentation 
and  direction  of  judgment,  usually  finds  its  explana- 
tion in  a  lack  of  attention  or  diligent  preparation.  While, 
even  in  that  case,  scolding  and  railing  are  out  of  place, 
a  few  brief  and  earnest  words  of  reproof  are  certainly 
in  place.  There  are  times  when  the  undisguised  sadness 
of  the  teacher  over  his  pupil's  shortcoming  is  even  more 
effective  than  a  reproof.  Much,  of  course,  depends  on 
the  individuality  of  the  child.  The  teacher  should  also 
ascertain  whether  the  disappointing  results  are  not  ac- 
counted for  by  the  home  life  of  the  pupil  rather  than  his 
own  dereliction.  Should  the  teacher's  suspicion  prove 
founded,  he  should  make  due  allowance  for  the  new 
factor,  lest  he  become  unjust  in  his  treatment  of  the 
child.  The  best  rule  will  be  to  insist  upon  the  children 
beforehand  informing  the  teacher  of  their  lack  of  pre- 
paration whenever  circumstances  have  made  it  impossi- 


512  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

ble.  To  treat  with  disdain  poorly  endowed  children  or 
to  ignore  them  altogether  constitutes  a  grave  sin  against 
those  unfortunates.  A  true  catechist  will,  never  as  much 
as  then,  bring  great  affection  and  attention  to  bear  upon 
them ;  will  never  weary  of  dealing  with  them,  and  strive 
to  make  them  understand  at  least  a  minimum.  Just  such 
pupils  as  these  are  prone  to  reward  their  teacher  by  a 
faithful  attachment  to  his  person  as  well  as  to  the  truth 
which  they  have  learned  at  his  feet.  Naughty  and  mis- 
chievous children,  however^  the  teacher  will  set  himself 
to  win  by  a  wise  alternation  of  mildness  and  severity, 
and  by  redoubled  diligence  in  preparation.  Even  then 
sighs  shall  not  be  spared  him  (Heb.  13,  17). 

Faulty  or  partially  correct  answers  are  entitled  to 
special  attention.  They  dare  not  be  summarily  rejected 
nor  accepted  as  correct.  The  former  proceeding  would 
be  a  wrong  against  the  catechumens,  the  latter  against 
the  truth  itself,  with  a  bitter  penalty  as  the  possible  out- 
come. The  right  way  will  be  to  establish  the  element 
of  truth  found  in  the  answer ;  to  make  that,  when  found, 
the  connecting  link  for  further  efforts,  and  thus  to  bring 
out  what  is  correct  through  elimination  of  what  is  false. 
This  might  take  the  form  of  pointing  out  the  evil  con- 
sequences bound  to  come  should  the  error  be  allowed 
to  stand.  If  the  answer  is  correct  in  point  of  content 
and  objectionable  merely  in  point  of  form,  the  latter 
should  be  corrected  by  the  teacher  himself  or  by  an- 
other child ;  and  this  as  briefly  as  possible ;  for  the  re- 
ligious period  should  not  become  a  lesson  in  language. 
Only  when  the  same  faulty  expression  occurs  again  and 
again,  the  child  should  be  earnestly  held  to  correct  its 
fault.  Sometimes  ludicrous  answers  are  given,  which 
by  no  means  necessarily  argue  wilfullness.     Should  the 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  513 

latter  be  the  case  nevertheless,  they  should  be  repudi- 
ated with  rigor,  though  never  without  dignity.  Should 
they  have  been  the  result  of  inadvertence,  self-control  is 
absolutely  called  for,  lest  the  teacher  should  laugh  with 
the  whole  class  or  even  incite  them  to  laughter.  If  the 
catechist  is  master  of  the  situation,  the  ludicrous  answer 
may  serve  as  an  occasion  for  a  fruitful  remark ;  and 
the  occasion  for  mirth  will  at  once  disappear. 

34.    The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History. 

Compare  the  literature  in  ch.  25  and  32. — A.  Eckert  (pp. 
79—118),  1899.— J.  Gottschick  (pp.  175—181),  1908.— O.  Har- 
nisch (pp.  63—64),  1906.— W.  Bittorf,  Methodik  (pp.  32—118), 
2 1908.— J.  Berndt  (pp.  78—95),  1909.— R.  Kabisch  (pp.  182— 
219),  1910.— J.  Steinbeck  (pp.  185—193),  1914.— F.  W.  Doerpfeld, 
Ges.  Schriften  III  :  Der  Religionsunterricht,  1  u.  2,  21895. — 
P.  Staude,  Die  formalen  Stufen  i.  bibl.  Geschichtsunterricht 
(Kehr's  Paedag.  Blaetter),  1884.— L.  Hohmann,  Methodik  d. 
ev.  Religionsunterrichts,  21904. — F.  Gansberg,  Schaffensfreude, 
•n909.— H.  Scharrelmann,  Weg  zur  Kraft,  71910.— O.  and  E. 
Zurhellen,  Wie  erzaehlen  wir  den  Kindern  die  biblischen  Ge- 
schichten, 21910. — Max  Paul,  Fuer  Herz  und  Gemuet  der  Klei- 
nen, 61911. — M.  Reu,  Grundsaetze  z.  Herstellung  v.  Sonntags- 
schulliteratur (Kirchl.  Zeitschr.),  1911.— M.  Reu,  How  I  Tell 
the  Bible  Stories  to  My  Sunday  School,  1918. — Teaching  Helps 
for  all  grades:  K.  Francke,  Weide  meine  Laemmer.  Die 
Heilige  Geschichte  der  Tugend  erzaehlt,  1897. — O.  Zuck,  Der 
gesamte  Religionsunterricht,  3  parts,  5  vols,  51902ff. — R.  Staude, 
Praeparationen  zu  der  biblischen  Geschichte  d.  Alten  u.  Neuen 
Tests.,  3  vols,  41905  ff.— E.  Thraendorf  and  H.  Meltzer,  Der 
Religionsunterricht,  3  parts,  21905  ff. — Reukauf  and  Heyn, 
Evang.  Religionsunterricht,  3. — 9.  vol.,  41907ff. — Kessel  and 
Spanuth,  Praepar.  f.  d.  ev.  Religionsunterricht,  3  parts,  21910 — 
11. — G.  Fankhauser,  Die  biblische  Geschichte  i.  Sonntagsschule 
u.  Religionsstunde,  31915. — G.  Fankhauser,  Christ  d.  Retter. 
Gesch.  aus  d.  Leben  Jesu,  kleinen  u.  grossen  Kindern  erzaehlt, 
1915. — G.  Fankhauser,  Der  Weg  zum  Kinde.  Monatsschrift  f. 
Christi.   Erziehung  u.   bibl.   Unterricht,    1915  ff. — Teaching   Helps 


514  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

for  the  instruction  of  Beginners:.  G.  L.  W.  Koehnlein,  Bibl. 
Geschichten  f.  Kinder  von  4 — 9  Jahren,  1854. — J.  F.  Ranke,  Des 
Kindes  erster  Unterricht  aus  Gottes  Wort  angeschlossen  an  die 
40  Bilder  der  Kaiserswerther  Bilderbibel.  Eine  Vorstufe  z.  d. 
ersten  Religionsunterricht  (1861),  21873. — F.  Wiedemann,  Wie 
ich  meinen  Kleinen  die  biblischen  Geschichten  erzaehle,  ca 
1865. — Graefin  Poninska,  Biblische  Geschichten.  Nach  d. 
Schnorrschen  Bilderbibel  erzaehlt  f.  kleine  Kinder,  1879. — L. 
Wangemann,  Der  erste  biblische  Anschauungsunterricht.  An- 
weisung z.  Gebrauch  der  20  Anschauungsbilder  (1883),  91907. — 
P.  Staudei,  Praepar.  f.  d.  ersten  Religionsunterricht,  1889  f. — A. 
Gieseler,  Der  Religionsunterricht  auf  d.  Unterstufe,  1900. — G. 
Kaelker,  Bibl.  Anschauungsunterricht,  21905. — E.  Zeissig,  Von 
d.  bibl.  Gesch.  auf  d.  Unterstufe  (Katech.  Zeitschr.),  1907.— R. 
H.  Evers,  Die  bibl.  Geschichte  und  deren  Behandlung  auf  der 
Unterstufe,  31909. — M.  R.  Unger,  Beitrag  zur  erbaulichen  Be- 
handlung des  Religionsunterrichts  auf  der  Unterstufe  der  Volks- 
schule, ca.  1912.— M.  Reu,  Fuer  die  Kleinen.  1913.— K.  Schnee- 
berg, Uns'  Herrgott  un  sin  Lued,  1914. — Mrs.  H.  Gaskoin,  Chil- 
dren's Treasury  of  Bible  Stories,  1896. — James  Baldwin,  Old 
Stories  of  the  East,  1896. — R.  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  and 
Joseph  the  Dreamer,  1901. — Laura  E.  Cragin,  Kindergarten  Bible 
Stories,  1905. — Geo.  Hodges,  The  Garden  of  Eden,  The  Castle 
of  Zion.  and  When  the  King  Came,  1904  ff.— R.  G.  Moulton,  The 
Art  of  Telling  Bible  Stories,  1904.— Sara  Coni  Bryant,  How  to 
Tell  Stories  to  Children.  1905. — Rich.  T.  Wyche,  Some  Great 
Stories  and  How  to  Tell  Them.  1910.— E.  P.  St.  John,  Stories 
and  Story-Telling.  1910. — M.  Reu,  For  Beginners.  Fifty  Stories 
for  the  Little  Ones.  1916. — Im  Strome  des  Lebens,  Sammlung 
von  Erzaehlungen  und  Geschichten  zur  Belehrung  der  religioe- 
sen  Jugendunterweisung,  dargeboten  vom  Leipziger  Lehrerver- 
ein.— Sneath,  Hodges,  and  Tweedy,  The  King's  Highway  Series, 
now  7  vols,  containing  much  valuable  material  for  telling  the 
Bible  stories  and  for  the  application  upon  the  life  of  the  child. 
That  the  material  assigned  for  any  particular  lesson 
in  Biblical  History  should  not  be  a  loose  conglomeration 
of  isolated  events,  but  a  catechetical  unit,  has  already 
been  shown  (p.  469).  If  this  statement  is  expressly  re- 
peated here,  it  is  done  for  the  reason  that  the  truth  in- 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  515 

volvcd  is  the  postulate  for  all  that  is  to  be  said  in  this 
paragraph  concerning  the  method  underlying  instruction 
in  Biblical  History.  While  it  is  quite  permissible  in 
the  upper  grades  or  on  the  occasion  of  a  review  to  place 
a  number  of  narratives  under  a  common  point  of  view 
and  thus  to  weave  them  into  a  unit,  the  unit  for  the  first 
treatment  is  always  the  single  narrative.  The  method 
to  be  observed  in  the  treatment  of  the  individual  narra- 
tive is  the  first  factor  to  be  considered.  Many  are  of 
the  opinion  that  the  main  object  of  instruction  in  Bibli- 
cal History  is  merely  the  memorizing  of  its  principal 
contents,  for  the  one  purpose  of  having  an  opportunity 
to  refer,  in  sermon  and  catechization,  to  the  material 
stored  up  in  the  memory.  If  that  view  were  correct, 
the  science  of  catechetics  might  well  refrain  from  de- 
voting a  special  section  to  the  method  underlying  in- 
struction in  this  branch  of  religious  knowledge.  Every- 
thing necessary  in  that  case  would  be  a  repeated  read- 
ing of  the  several  narratives,  to  be  followed  by  a  quiz 
for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  there  has  been  a 
sufficient  appropriation  of  the  contents.  But  if  instruc- 
tion in  Biblical  History  is  to  support  the  effort  of  reach- 
ing the  aim  of  religious  instruction  and  training  as  it  is 
given  on  page  312;  if  it  is  to  be  of  present  value  for  the 
children — a  source  of  influence  upon  their  whole  inner 
life,  of  desire  and  power  for  a  life  in  which  God  has  plea- 
sure, ay,  a  dynamic  force  for  such  a  life,  the  question 
as  to  the  didactic  treatment  of  the  individual  biblical 
narrative  proves  of  uncommon  importance,  and  requires 
specific  treatment. 

In  order  to  attain  this  purpose,  there  will  have  to  be 
in  evidence  what  we  described  in  ch.  32  as  the  essential 
features  of  the  whole  process  of  instruction.     In  other 


516  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

words,  the  treatment  of  the  individual  narrative  should 
cover  the  three  steps  of  presentation,  penetration,  and 
application.  Penetration,  provided  it  meets  the  condi- 
tions of  smooth  development  and  didactic  and  pedagogic 
merit,  will  also  comprise  what  has  been  called  by  the 
disciples  of  Herbart  "association"  (p.  459)  ;  and  inva- 
riably it  will  issue  in  the  "generalization"  of  the  specific 
truth  educed  from  the  individual  narrative  (fourth  step 
of  the  disciples  of  Herbart).  Again,  presentation  should 
be  preceded  by  a  statement  of  aim  and  frequently  also 
by  a  brief  preparation. 

1.  Statement  of  aim.  Just  as  instruction  as  a  whole 
has  a  definite  aim,  so  likewise  every  period  of  instruc- 
tion. It  is  not  sufficient  for  the  preacher  to  know  that 
the  edification  of  his  congregation  must  be  the  aim  to  be 
kept  in  view  with  all  his  preaching;  rather,  unless  the 
individual  sermon  is  to  degenerate  into  an  aimless  and 
useless  talk,  he  must,  each  time  he  enters  the  pulpit,  be 
clear  in  regard  to  his  specific  aim  on  that  particular  oc- 
casion ;  nor  will  he  say  anything  whatever  save  what 
subserves  the  attainment  of  that  aim  or  reaching  the 
purpose  in  view.  The  greater  his  clearness  in  regard  to 
the  plan  pursued,  and  the  more  effective  its  unfolding, 
the  greater  his  success.  Whether  or  not  he  specifies  the 
aim  in  view  by  means  of  a  theme, — he  must  have  one, 
and  he  must  aim  for  it  constantly.  The  same  is  true  of 
the  catechist.  Never  should  he  approach  his  children 
with  a  Bible  story,  unless  he  is  quite  clear  in  regard  to 
the  purpose  to  be  accomplished  by  means  of  it.  But  is 
the  aim  to  be  specified  and  named  at  the  very  outset? 
Not  the  inner, — the  ultimate,  aim  to  be  realized  with  his 
pupils.  If  he  should  state  that,  he  would  anticipate  the 
best  that  is  to  come,  and  himself  thwart  the  children's 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  517 

attention.  What  should  be  won  and  arrived  at  only  by 
severe  labor  on  the  part  of  the  catechumens,  he  would 
permit  to  fall  into  their  lap  without  effort,  thus  losing 
the  best  opportunity  for  independent  mental  activity  on 
the  children's  part.  What  he  will  do  is  to  announce  the 
aim  formally.  He  will  not  say :  "Today  let  us  learn 
that  nothing  so  pleased  God  in  Abraham  as  faith",  but 
rather :  "Let  us  learn  today  what  pleased  God  best  in 
Abraham'".  The  former  would  be  the  announcement  of 
the  inner  aim,  the  latter,  of  the  outward  one ;  the  for- 
mer is  the  material  announcement  of  the  aim,  the  latter, 
the  formal.  The  latter  is  necessary  in  order  to  concen- 
trate and  focus  the  scattered  thoughts  of  the  children, 
and  to  direct  them  to  the  point  on  which  the  whole  cate- 
chization  is  to  turn.  Let  anyone  realize  the  direction  of 
the  children's  thoughts  at  the  time  when  the  period  of 
Biblical  History  begins,  or  the  subjects  with  which  their 
attention  was  last  occupied,  and,  calling  to  mind  the  nar- 
rowness of  consciousness,  which  prevents  the  soul  from 
thinking  of  more  than  one  subject  at  a  time,  he  cannot 
fail  to  recognize  the  expediency  of  stating  the  aim.  As 
long  as  the  soul  clings  in  thought  to  the  old,  I  cannot  fill 
it  with  anything  new.  It  will  behoove  me  first  to  de- 
tach it  from  the  former  and  lead  it  in  the  direction  of  the 
latter :  this  is  the  very  purpose  of  the  statement  of  aim. 
In  proportion  as  the  catechist  succeeds  in  making  the 
statement  attractive,  brisk,  interesting,  he  will  accom- 
plish his  purpose.  Statements  of  this  kind  would  be : 
How  sin  came  into  the  world ;  How  God  made  man 
happy ;  Of  Joseph,  Jacob's  dearest  son ;  How  Joseph 
came  to  Egypt ;  How  a  shepherd  lad  was  elected  king ; 
How  little  David  fought  with  the  tall  giant ;  Of  David's 
dearest  friend  Jonathan ;  How  the  Jesus  lad  of  a  second 


518  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

time  came  into  the  temple ;  Of  a  man  who  fell  among 
robbers ;  How  Jesus  takes  care  even  of  the  lost ;  How 
even  believers  may  yet  perish ;  How  the  first  black  man 
became  a  Christian,  etc.  Let  the  student  compare  the 
headings  of  the  "Wartburg  Lesson  Helps"  (Second 
Course),  without,  however,  overlooking  the  fact  that  the 
inner,  or  material  aim  has  in  several  instances  purposely 
been  used  there  as  heading.  In  connection  with  the 
statement  of  aim  it  should  also  be  remembered  that  the 
child,  and  the  common  average  man  in  general,  pre- 
fers the  use  of  verbs  to  that  of  nouns.  "The  creation  of 
the  world"  does  not  convey  a  meaning  to  them  as  well 
as :  "How  God  created  the  world".  Sometimes 
the  aim  of  the  new  story  is  readily  suggested  by  a 
consideration  of  the  preceding  one.  If  the  cate- 
chist  has  rung  the  final  note  of  the  story  of 
Joseph's  sale  into  slavery,  sympathy  for  his  wel- 
fare and  interest  in  his  subsequent  history  have 
been  aroused  on  the  children's  part,  so  that  the  question 
lies  on  their  lips  and  gazes  out  of  their  eyes  :  What  be- 
fell Joseph  in  Egypt?  And  thus  the  teacher  has  given 
to  his  hand  the  aim  that  he  has  in  view  with  the  next 
narrative. 

2.  Preparation.  It  is  often  advisable  that  the  pre- 
sentation is  preceded  by  a  preparation.  In  the  statement 
of  aim  a  word  has  perhaps  been  used  which  points  the 
child  to  conditions  in  life  with  which  it  is  well  acquaint- 
ed. The  discussion  of  these  will  supply  the  apperceptive 
faculty  with  the  fulcrum  which  is  to  bear  the  weight  of 
the  new  material  in  the  narrative  to  be  treated  (p.  234). 
Should,  e.  g.,  the  aim  of  the  narrative  have  been  stated 
as :  "How  the  first  black  man  became  a  Christian", 
it  is  advisable  to  remind  the  child  of  the  negro  seen  by 


The  Alethod  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  519 

him  on  the  street,  and  to  have  it  recall  that  even  negroes 
can  be  true  Christians.  If,  in  addition,  a  short  story 
should  be  told  of  some  negro  known  as  an  earnest  Chris- 
tian, the  child  has  not  only  been  provided  with  the  ma- 
terial which  enables  it  to  understand  the  statement  of 
aim,  but  a  torch  has  been  lit  which  shines  into  the  dis- 
tance, so  that  the  erstwhile  nebulous  and  obscure  form 
of  the  Ethiopian  eunuch  has  become  something  con- 
crete and  distinguishable.  Moreover,  it  is  possible  that 
the  new  narrative  deals  with  objects  and  affairs  altoge- 
ther remote  from  the  present  viewpoint  and  concept 
sphere  of  the  children,  but,  nevertheless,  of  funda- 
mental moment  for  an  intelligent  comprehension  of  that 
particular  narrative.  These  cannot  be  explained  inci- 
dentally during  the  process  of  presentation ;  for  this  rea- 
son they  constitute  the  material  for  the  preparation.  As 
a  case  in  point,  we  come  in  connection  with  the  story 
of  the  anointing  of  David  for  the  royal  office,  upon  the 
concept  anointing.  The  catechist*  will  find  far  fewer 
obstacles  to  a  successful  disclosure  of  the  thought,  under- 
lying this  narrative  and  the  development  of  the  inner 
aim  (namely,  1  Sam.  16,  7),  if,  in  the  process  of  presen- 
tation and  penetration,  he  will  not  be  compelled  to 
dwell  upon  an  explanation  of  the  custom  of  anointing. 
In  the  preliminary  discussion  he  will  speak  of  the  way 
our  president  is  inaugurated,  or  an  emperor  used  to  be 
crowned,  or  of  the  practise  of  anointing  priests  and  kings 
in  Israel  and  the  purpose  or  meaning  back  of  it.  Or,  the 
catechist,  very  properly,  may  feel  justified  in  connecting 
the  new  narrative  with  the  one  just  disposed  of,  because 
only  thus  the  children  can  be  put  into  the  right  frame  of 
mind  to  bring  the  needed  amount  of  interest  to  bear  upon 
the  new  material.     It  is  the  province  of  the  preparation 


520  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

to  bring  about  such  frame  of  mind.  Has,  for  instance, 
the  sale  of  Joseph  into  captivity  been  the  subject  of  the 
previous  lesson,  the  children  should  be  reminded  anew 
how  Joseph  must  have  felt  on  his  way  to  Egypt — leaving 
behind  his  father,  running  beside  the  camel  over  in  the 
hot  sand  of  the  desert,  sobbing  and  moaning  in  his  grief, 
only  to  meet  with  rebukes ;  telling  himself  that  he  would 
probably  never  see  his  home  again.  Thus  the  inner 
warp  has  been  arranged ;  the  threads  have  been  inserted ; 
the  weaving  may  now  proceed :  the  children  are  mentally 
prepared  to  follow  Joseph's  further  experience  in  Egypt. 
Thus  the  preparation  aims  to  enhance  the  interest  of  the 
child  in  the  new  story  already  aroused  by  the  statement 
of  aim ;  it  will  remove  all  obstacles  in  the  way  of  an 
effectual  appropriation  of  the  new  material,  and  attune 
the  cords  of  the  soul,  so  that  the  new  impressions  may 
play  upon  it  with  power  and  without  interference.  It 
will  often  be  well  to  let  the  preparation  issue 
in  a  re-statement  of  'the  aim. — So  far  as  the  outward 
form  is.  concerned,  such  a  preliminary  discussion  is  not 
likely  to  be  purely  acroamatic ;  it  is  more  likely  to  bear 
the  character  of  an  informal  conversation.  While  the 
explanatory  words  of  the  catechist  will  usually  form 
the  bulk  of  the  preparation,  there  may  be  instances 
when,  to  make  it  effectual,  the  whole  preparation  will 
consist  of  questions  and  answers.  (Compare  Presenta- 
tion.) When  the  statement  of  aim  and  the  subsequent 
presentation  are  clear  to  the  child,  the  preparation  may 
occasionally  be  dispensed  with,  a  proceeding  which  is 
under  all  circumstances  better  than  to  drag  it  in. — 
Comp.  Practical  Examples  appended  to  the  fifth  part  of 
this  textbook. 

3.  Presentation.      How   the    new   narrative   is   pre- 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  521 

sented,  is  of  the  greatest  importance  for  the  realization 
of  the  aim  of  instruction  and  training.  Unless  the  me- 
thod of  presentation  is  such  as  to  arouse  the. "interest", 
to  stir  the  emotions,  to  move  the  will,  the  other  steps 
of  the  teaching  process  are  not  likely  to  have  these  ef- 
fects ;  and  the  instruction  as  a  whole  remains  without 
appropriate  results.  There  are  three  modes  of  present- 
ing the  new  material,  each  one  having  its  advocates 
among  the  ranks  of  the  educators.  The  new  story  may 
be  offered  through  reading,  narration,  or  "construction". 
Reading  is  the  most  ineffectual  form  imaginable, 
especially  when  the  children  are  expected  to  read  the 
story  themselves  from  the  textbook  or  the  Bible.  Even 
though  they  be  able  to  read  with  fluency  and  due  de- 
ference to  sense  and  expression,  it  is  impossible  for 
them  to  receive  so  clear  an  intuition  as  when  the  story 
is  read  to  them  in  an  exemplary  manner.  Even  then 
reading  the  Bible  narrative  over  once,  in  most  cases,  will 
have  no  influence  upon  their  inner  life.  But  does  it  fol- 
low from  this  that  the  teacher  is  to  read  the  story  to 
the  children?  It  must  be  conceded  that,  if  the  teacher 
reads  well,  the  interest  of  the  children  can  be  aroused. 
But  equally  correct,  and  even  more  important,  is  what 
Schueren  says  upon  this  point  (p.  15)  :  "Whatever  the 
teacher  exacts  from  the  children,  he  must  first  exact 
from  himself.  How  repugnant  it  is  when  the  teacher 
says  to  the  children:  "You  should  know  this,  even 
though  I  myself  do  not".  He  implies  that,  however, 
when  he  reads  the  story  to  the  children.  Not  even 
reference  notes  should  he  permit  himself,  since  he  does 
not  allow  the  children  to  use  these  when  the  subject  is 
reviewed.  Even  more  injurious  than  this  example  of 
indolence  set  by  the  teacher  is  the  resulting  lack  of  dis- 


522  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

cipline  and  the  loss  of  animation  in  teaching.  Chil- 
dren should  know  themselves  under  constant  observa- 
tion, if  order  is  to  be  maintained  among  them.  When  the 
teacher  reads  to  the  children,  he  is  unable  to  watch  them, 
unable  to  nip  disturbance  in  the  bud; — and  disturbance 
is  likely  to  be  particularly  frequent  in  just  this  case,  for 
the  reason  that  a  lifeless  instruction  possesses  no  fas- 
cination for  the  children.  If  there  is  to  be  life  in  the  in- 
struction given,  the  matter  taught  must  live  in  the  teach- 
er instead  of  merely  being  in  the  book.  How  can  the 
teacher  arouse  and  maintain  in  the  children  the  convic- 
tion that  he  himself  believes  the  material  that  he  pre- 
sents, if  he  resorts  to  reading?  Many  other  things 
besides  the  voice  should  speak  during  instruction,  not- 
ably the  eye.  There  is  no  telling  what  effect  may  be 
produced  by  a  soulful  eve  turned  to  the  hearer.  The  eye 
of  the  teacher  should  rest  upon  that  of  the  child,  and  the 
eye  of-  the  child  upon  that  of  the  teacher.  Often  the 
lips  will  strive  in  vain  to  utter  what  the  eyes  language 
without  effort".  Furthermore,  what  text  should  the 
teacher  select  for  reading?  That  of  Scripture?  This 
is  the  view  of  many,  who  think  that  veneration  for  Holy 
Scripture  does  not  permit  any  choice  whatever.  But 
the  Scriptures  have  not  been  written  for  the  children  in 
the  sense  that  their  language  and  mode  of  presentation  is 
always  familiar  to  them.  On  the  contrary,  the  language 
of  the  Scriptures  often  requires  to  be  adjusted  to  the 
needs  of  children,  and  to  be  translated  into  their  own 
familiar  speech.  In  order  to  bring  home  to  the  chil- 
dren the  actual  sense,  it  will  occasionally  be  necessary 
to  leave  out  parts  of  the  Scripture  text,  and,  again,  to 
supplement  it  by  explanatory  comments.  In  due  recog- 
nition of  this  fact,  Bible  Histories  have  been  compiled 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  523 

with  texts  frequently  quite  different  from  that  of  Scrip- 
tures, so  far  as  the  arrangement  of  words  is  concerned, 
texts  that  rise  from  comparative  freedom  from  the 
Scriptural  text  in  the  lower  grades  to  increasing  con- 
formity to  it  in  the  upper  (compare  the  three  grades  of 
the  Second  Course  of  the  Wartburg  Lesson  Helps).  Yet, 
however  thoroughly  warranted,  and,  in  view  of  the  need- 
ed reviews  and  drills  in  Bible  narratives,  even  necessary, 
it  is  to  provide  a  special  text  for  children,  the  objections 
to  presentation  by  reading  stated  above  apply  also  here, 
and,  moreover,  the  mere  reading  of  the  story  from  the 
textbook  is  not  sufficient  completely  to  unfold  the  dor- 
mant powers  of  the  text  of  Scripture  before  the  pupils 
and  to  bring  them  to  bear  upon  the  threefold  life  of  the 
soul. 

The  reason  is  this  :  In  every  story,  the  Bible  story 
not  excepted,  a  fourfold  factor  is  to  be  discerned:  1. 
The  historic  act  as  such  ;  2.  the  frame  work  of  the  story 
— for  instance,  certain  features  pertaining  to  the  re- 
spective fields  of  geography,  natural  history,  and  cul- 
tural history  within  which  the  action  moves  ;  3.  the  inner 
world  of  thoughts  and  motives  of  the  story,  i.  e.,  the 
thoughts,  emotions,  reflections,  motives,  etc.,  actuating 
the  persons  described  ;  4.  the  religious  and  moral  value 
of  such  thoughts  and  motives,  which  endows  the  action 
with  its  real  value.  Not  until  I  have  enabled  my  pupils 
to  comprehend  this  fourfold  factor,  has  the  story  as  a 
whole  been  presented  by  me,  and  all  the  forces  dormant 
therein  been  utilized.  Of  this  fourfold  factor  the  fa- 
miliar schooltexts,  however,  permit  only  the  first  to  ope- 
rate without  restriction,  the  second  falls  short  and  has 
to  be  explained  afterward,  whereby  the  effect  of  the 
story  is  marred;   the  third  and  the  fourth  are  merely 


524  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

suggested ;  and,  so  far  as  the  fourth  is  concerned,  it  often 
is  not  accorded  even  that  need  of  attention.  And  yet,  the 
educative  force  of  the  story  is  largely  found  in  the  last 
two.  The  pupil  must  be  trained  not  to  stop  at  externals 
in  judging  of  an  action,  but  to  make  his  way  to  the 
motive  of  which  it  is  an  expression,  and  thus  to  form 
a  judgment  concerning  its  religious  and  moral  value 
(pp.  248.  291  f.).  To  this  must  be  added  that  the 
schooltext  as  well  as  that  of  the  Bible  often  limns  impor- 
tant situations  with  a  single  stroke.  This  may  be,  and. 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  often  is,  decidedly  characteristic  and 
significant ;  but  the  child  does  not  understand  it  in  its 
bearings,  and  thus  loses  something  of  great  value. 
What  anguish  and  despair,  what  remorse  and  futile 
hope,  what  horror  and  brooding  of  death,  for  instance, 
are  expressed  in  the  one  brief  word  of  Gen.  7,  20.  21  ! 
All  this  must  be  brought  out  and  the  class  vividly  made 
conscious  of  it.  Or,  what  is  not  found  between  the  words 
in  Acts  9,  22:  "Paul  confounded  the  Jews  that  dwelt 
at  Damascus  and  proved  that  this  is  the  Christ".  Not- 
withstanding, these  words  are  only  meaningless  sounds 
for  the  class,  probably  not  even  understood  in  their  lit- 
eral sense,  until  the  teacher  unfolds  them  and  presents  to 
his  pupils  a  vision  of  Paul's  evangelistic  activity  with  its 
overwhelming  arguments  from  the  sphere  of  prophecy 
and  fulfillment.  Facts  such  as  these  call  for  another  mode 
of  presentation  than  a  mere  reading  of  the  respective 
text  by  the  pupils  or  by  the  teacher  to  the  pupils.  Even 
when  subsequently  the  penetration  is  added  to  the  pre- 
sentation, supplying  many  things  neglected  by  the  form- 
er, this  is  a  poor  makeshift.  Until  that  time  comes,  the 
child  has  to  worry  along  with  much  undigested  mate- 
rial ;  no  overwhelming  effect  upon  its  inner  life,  particu- 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  525 

larly  its  will  and  emotions,  has  been  produced.  Whe- 
ther the  soul  will  later  be  equally  susceptible  to  such  in- 
fluence, is  questionable :  the  first  impression  is  usually 
also   here   decisive. 

For  the  reasons  given,  many  catechists  today,  in- 
stead of  having  the  text  read  by  the  pupils  or  them- 
selves reading  it  to  the  pupils,  prefer  the  method  of 
construction.  They  understand  by  this  the  method 
through  which  the  teacher,  in  the  form  of  a  conversa- 
tion, introduces  the  children  to  the  situation  postulated 
by  the  story,  whereupon,  by  the  questions  and  answers, 
he  prompts  them  to  find  the  several  features  of  the 
story  and  thus  in  a  sense  to  construct  it  for  themselves. 
Where  this  method  obtains,  the  four  characteristic  fea- 
tures of  the  story,  above  mentioned,  which  require  due 
attention  if  the  story  is  to  fulfill  its  purpose — the  last 
three  in  particular — come  into  their  own.  Notwithstand- 
ing, such  a  treatment  of  the  story  would 
still  be  inadequate.  While  the  mental  activity  of  the  chil- 
dren could  hardly  find  a  better  field  for  independent  ex- 
ertion, the  biblical  story  cannot,  under  the  sway  of  this 
method,  produce  the  designed  effect  upon  the  emotional 
and  volitional  life  of  the  children ;  and  when  climaxes 
are  reached  in  the  history  of  revelation  and  God's  re- 
demptive doings  are  the  heart  of  the  story,  the  outcome 
is  altogether  disappointing.  How  should  children  dis- 
cover God's  purpose  in  regard  to  man  either  in  the 
past  or  present?  Even  though  the  thesis  should  be 
given  to  them :  "God  is  love",  all  attempts  to  discover 
His  ways  from  that  premise  would  lead  to  an  aimless 
groping,  but  never  to  a  knowledge  of  the  ways  which 
God  has  actually  taken.  If,  however.,  this  dangerous 
deviation   is  avoided  and  on   all   important  points,  ki- 


526  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

formation  about  God's  redemptive  work  is  imparted  to 
the  children,  admission  is  thereby  made  that  a  story 
hardly  requires  any  other  form  of  presentation  than  of 
narration.  While  the  constructive  method  has  originat- 
ed in  an  exaggeration  of  the  principle  of  training  the 
child  for  mental  self-activity,  it  is  not  without  its  ele- 
ment of  truth,  in  that  the  catechist,  who  presents  the 
subject  matter  in  the  form  of  narration,  will  find  it  ex- 
pedient every  once  in  a  while  to  interrupt  his  narration 
by  a  question,  which  is  intended  not  only  to  make  sure 
of  the  pupils'  attention,  but  also  to  enable  them  to  carry 
the  action  forward  themselves  or  to  give  an  account  of 
the  thoughts  and  motives  underlying  it. 

But  how  should  the  story  be  told?  Here,  too, 
a  threefold  mode  is  advocated.  There  are  those 
who  think  that  it  ought  to  be  told  in  precisely  the  same 
manner  as  the  pupils  shall  afterward  find  it  in  the  school- 
text,  with  only  this  exception  that  brief  explanatory 
remarks  may  be  interspersed.  That  this  view  is  hardly 
correct,  is  readily  inferred  from  what  has  been  said 
above ;  for  most  of  the  arguments  set  forth  against 
the  reading  of  the  Bible  story  by  the  teacher,  apply 
to  this  method  of  narration  as  well.  Others  have  ad- 
vocated a  method  diametrically  opposite,  in  that  they 
demand  a  narration  that  is  not  only  altogether  indepen- 
dent of  the  Bible  text  but  also  completely  modernized 
that  the  very  coloring  of  the  Bible  has  been  discarded, 
and  the  Bible  characters  are  brought  face  to  face  with 
the  pupil  like  those  of  a  modern  village  or  metropolis. 
While  traces  of  this  method  are  found  already  in  Paul 
and  Zurhellen,  it  is  Gansberg  and  Scharrelmann  that 
have  consistently  carried  it  out.  Not  only  "full  de- . 
tailedness.    and  .  exhaustive     motivation",  ..but.,  a.lsq. 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  527 

"the  most  child-like  modernization"  is  Scharrelmann's 
motto.  "When  I  am  unable  to  depict  ancient  Jewish  and 
Egyptian  conditions  and  scenes,  I  substitute  modern 
ones  for  them" — a  principle  carried  out  by  him  with 
far  greater  consistency  than  by  the  medieval  painters 
to  whom  he  makes  appeal  in  the  premises.  We  do  not 
overlook  the  fact  that  this  requirement  contains  a  modi- 
cum of  truth ;  and  we  demand  recognition  and  adoption 
of  such  elements  of  truth ;  nevertheless,  we  must  repudi- 
ate this  mode  of  narration  or  presentation ;  for,  to  us, 
not  only  the  soul  of  the  child,  in  whose  behalf  the  de- 
mand is  made,  is  holy,  but  the  material  as  well.  Much 
as  we  emphasize  the  necessity  of  setting  forth  the  truths 
of  Christian  faith  and  life  contained  in  the  several  Bible 
narratives  in  such  a  way  that  the  child's  interest  is 
aroused  on  every  hand,  we  are  at  the  same  time  aware  of 
the  Bible  story's  title  to  reality.  It  is  to  us  an  educational 
factor  for  the  very  reason  that  it  is  a  link  in  the  chain 
of  that  history  which  prepares  or  provides  our  salva- 
tion. We  should  not  even  use  it  as  an  educational  fac- 
tor were  it  a  mere  vestment  for  garbing  moral  thoughts. 
Were  that  the  case,  we  should  prefer  to  have  recourse 
to  tales  or  stories  from  the  present. 

The  proper  mode  of  presentation  for  the  reasons 
given  is  the  narration.  Such  narration  gives  in  entire 
independence  of  the  Biblical  wording  an  exhaustive, 
clear  and  vivid  picture  of  the  event  and  points  out,  not 
only  the  progress  of  the  action  with  good  effect,  gives 
due  attention  to  the  whole  "frame  work  of  the  story". 
but  also  tenderly  discloses  the  inner  world  of  thoughts 
and  motives  and  their  moral  and  religious  bearings.  At 
the  same  time,  however,  in  spite  of  all  independence  from 
the    Biblical   wording,   in   spite   of   all   detailedness    and 


528  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

motivation,  it  is,  in  point  of  content,  faithful  to  Scrip- 
ture and  in  point  of  form  noble  and  chaste ;  it  intends 
to  set  in  motion  the  intellectual,  emotional  and  volitional 
soul-life  of  the  child  by  no  other  means  than  by  the  fact 
and  thought  material  lying  open  or  hidden  in  the  Scrip- 
tural narrative,  and  arriving  at  climaxes,  when  impor- 
tant direct  utterances,  especially  of  the  Lord  Himself 
occur,  it  conforms  even  to  the  exact  wording  of  Scrip- 
ture. 

In  regard  to  detail,  the  story  properly  told  meets  the  fol- 
lowing conditions :  it  must  be  simple,  intelligible,  intuitional, 
vivid,  and  effective.  Simple  in  regard  to  language  and  tone.  Not 
long  but  short  sentences ;  simple  sentences  and  not  complicated 
ones  with  intertwining  clauses.  Nor  should  the  catechist  culti- 
vate an  unnatural  and  artificial  tone,  but  a  natural  one,  as  if  a 
mother  tells  a  story  in  the  family  circle.  Intelligible  the  story 
must  be;  for  though  it  be  simple  in  language  and  tone,  the  chil- 
dren may  still  be  unable  to  understand  it,  because  there  is  not 
enough  adaptation  to  the  child's  vocabulary,  or  because  words 
are  used  which  may  be  familiar  as  to  sound,  without,  however, 
producing  clear  concepts  in  their  minds  (p.  484).  As  a  case  in 
point,  the  teacher  should  not  merely  say  :  "Jehovah  blessed  the 
Egyptian's  house  for  Joseph's  sake",  but  should  show  in  detail 
wherein  such  blessings  consisted;  perhaps  in  this  way:  While 
Joseph  was  overseer,  no  mishap  befell  the  horses;  no  strife  and 
thieving  took  place  among  the  slaves;  and  everything  sown  upon 
the  fields  bore  fruit  sixty,  seventy,  and  a  hundredfold.  He  must 
not  content  himself  with  repeating  the  statement  of  Scripture 
that  Saul  was  given  letters  to  Damascus ;  for  even  pupils  of  the 
upper  grades  do  not  know  what  is  meant  by  credentials,  which 
are  here  meant,  a  mental  gap  which  will  cause  them  to  miss  a 
not  unimportant  feature  of  the  situation.  "Our  instruction  is 
often  so  utterly  devoid  of  joy  and  success  because  we  postu- 
late something  that  does  not  exist"  (Schueren,  p.  12).  How  is 
attention  to  be  aroused;  how  the  interest  to  be  awakened;  how 
the  recitation  to  become  acceptable  if  so  much  in  our  narration 
has  remained  unintelligible  to  the  children?  Intuitional  the 
narration   must  be.     "To  use  the  map  of  Palestine  in   Biblical 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  529 

History  does  not  make  the  instruction  intuitional.  When  the 
child,  as  the  story  is  told,  sees  with  the  eyes  of  its  mind  what 
is  heard  with  the  bodily  ears;  when  the  external  process  becomes 
an  internal  one  for  the  child,  it  is  then  that  instruction  is  in- 
tuitional. In  painting  we  are  not  restricted  to  brush  and  pig- 
ment; in  moulding,  we  are  not  restricted  to  chisel  and  ham- 
mer :  these  things  can  be  done  also  with  words ;  there  is  such 
a  thing  as  a  plastic  art  in  language"  (Schueren,  p.  16) ;  cp.  pp. 
225  f.  286  f.  291  f.  To  tell  a  story  intuitionally,  we  must  pay 
attention  to  the  way  it  is  told  by  children  and  mothers ;  in  the 
Bible,  too,  there  are  many  sections  that  can  serve  as  typical. 
For  one  thing,  it  pays  attention  to  the  lesser  features  (Abraham 
bowed  down ;  let  now  a  little  water  be  fetched  and  wash  your 
feet ;  here  I  am,  my  son ! ;  Joseph  shore  his  head  and  arrayed 
himself  in  other  garments  when  he  left  the  prison;  observe  the 
plastic  force  in  Gen.  22!); 'there  are  never  any  omissions  (when 
Abraham  entreated  God  repeatedly  in  behalf  of  Sodom,  it  does 
not  say  :  He  entreated  God  several  times ;  but  the  six  entreaties 
are  given  in  accurate  detail,  and  to  this  day  each  renewed 
entreaty  causes  the  child's  sympathy  to  mount  higher)  ;  definite 
numbers  are  given  (five  loaves,  two  fishes,  twelve  baskets) ;  it 
does  not  deal  in  collective  terms,  but  mentions  concrete  ob- 
jects (e.  g.,  in  1  Sam.  17,  17.  it  does  not  simply  say  food,  but 
enumerates  the  individual  articles  constituting  the  food)  ;  it 
never,  or  at  least  very  seldom  (as  in  Acts  1,  1  ff.),  deals  in  gen- 
eralizations. It  does  not  deal  in  indirect  speech  with  its  difficult 
constructions,  but  in  direct  speech  (not :  Jesus  said  that  she 
would  go  in  peace,  but :  Go  in  peace !  not,  God  asked  where 
Adam  was,  but,  God  said:  Adam,  where  art  thou?).  All  this 
enhances  intuitional  presentation.  It  is  true  that  the  narrative  is 
thus  made  longer;  but  that  is  of  no  consequence:  while  breadth 
is  not  always  an  evidence  of  intuitional  presentation,  intuitional 
presentation  does  require  a  certain  amount  of  diffuseness.  It 
cannot  dispense  with  miniature  painting,  whereby,  at  the  same 
time,  the  phantasy  of  the  child  is  given  most  acceptable  food  (pp. 
233,  280,  286).  The  outward  circumstances  should  be  deline- 
ated in  detail.  Explanatory  comments,  for  instance,  such  as  are 
to  shed  light  on  the  state  of  culture  at  the  time  of  the  event 
under  consideration,  and  others,  should  always,  as  much  as 
possible,  be  joined  to  the  persons  of  the  story  under  discussion, 


530  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

unless  they  have  been  disposed  of  in  the  preliminary  discus- 
sion; only  thus  can  they  really  be  made  to  serve  the  purpose  of 
enhancing  the  intuitional  presentation  and  arousing  the  interest 
of  the  pupils  (p.  287).  Under  no  circumstances  should  they 
be  accorded  recognition  as  independent  factors.  While  they 
may  be  allowed  to  retard  the  progress  of  the  action,  they  must 
not  interrupt  it  and  crowd  the  essential  features  of  the  story 
into  the  background.  The  ivy  twining  around  the  pillar  and  all 
the  details  of  decorative  art  to  the  right  and  the  left  are  very 
fine,  but  the  pillar  itself  is  of  greater  importance.  Special  care 
is  required  for  the  illumination  of  inner  processes,  that  is, 
the  world  of  thought  and  sentiment  within  the  souls  of  the 
actors  in  the  story.  The  catechist  must  mentally  transplant 
himself  into  their  position;  must  conceive  their  pleasures  and 
their  burdens;  must  visualize  their  emotions,  their  fears  and 
hopes  now  rising,  now  subsiding,  and  thus  trace  the  act  to  its 
beginnings  ;  he  must  glimpse  the  inner  conflicts  as  they  end  in 
defeat  or  victory,  eventually  to  take  visible  shape  in  the  deed; 
he  must  take  into  consideration  the  consequences  of  the  good 
as  of  the  evil  deed :  only  thus  can  he  prompt  the  soul  of  the 
child  by  word,  voice,  and  eye  to  vibrate  in  sympathy  with  the 
scenes  inwardly  beheld. — Fankhauser:  "When  we  tell  of  the 
campaign  undertaken  by  Abraham  for  Lot's  rescue,  we  may 
fancy  how  the  tempter  whispered  to  him  many  things.  'Serves 
Lot  right !  What  tricks  he  used  to  play  on  you !  Now  he  has 
gotten  what  is  coming  to  him  for  his  selfishness !  Let  him 
see  how  he  gets  out  of  the  trap  !'  But  see  how  Abraham  turned 
down  all  such  advice  and  only  thought  of  Lot's  misery — in 
chains,  in  fear  and  danger  of  death  :  and  he  his  brother's  son. 
commended  to  his  care  by  his  dying  father.  'But  what  will 
you  do,  Abraham?  Engage  in  war  with  your  318  servants 
against  the  four  kings  with  soldiers  probably  a  hundred  times 
as  many  as  yours  !'  'God  goes  with  me,  if  I  do  what  pleases 
Him.  If  He  goes  by  my  side,  we  shall  be  the  stronger  of  the 
two.'  'But.  Abraham,  you  have  never  done  anything  but  to  herd 
flocks,  while  those  men  are  veteran  warriors  !'  T  trust  in  God, 
who  will  show  me  what  is  to  be  done'."  Zurhellen:  "Cain's 
fratricide,  as  pictured  in  the  Bible-text,  is,  for  the  children,  a 
ghastly  and  incomprehensible  deed.  Envy  is  the  motive ;  and 
envy  should  be  the  subject  of  the  subsequent  penetration.     But 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  531 

in  that  case  the  narration  must  have  succeeded  in  making  clear 
the  nature  of  envy,  its  probable  origin,  the  gradual  corrosion 
of  the  soul  by  it,  the  terrible  results  from  it  unless  opposed 
by  a  strong  will.  Therewith  we  come  upon  the  second  pedagogic 
valuable  motive :  'Unto  thee  shall  be  its  desire,  but  do  thou 
rule  over  it!'  Self-control,  there  demanded,  is  surely  one  of  the 
most  fruitful  subjects  of  religious  and  moral  instruction;  and 
the  story  before  us  supplies  us  with  a  welcome  opportunity  to 
speak  of  it  to  the  children.  But  in  that  case  the  presentation 
should  also  contain  a  reference  to  the  conflict  of  the  good  will 
in  Cain  against  sin  and  make  its  ultimate  defeat  conceivable". 
All  this  is  necessary  if  the  narrative  is  to  be  in- 
tuitional. The  catechist  will  be  successful  in  shedding 
light  upon  the  outward  as  well  as  the  inward  situa- 
tion, especially  if  he  observes  those  inconspicuous  hints 
contained  in  the  Bible  text  which  so  often  elude  the  at- 
tention of  the  cursory  reader  (cp.  Gen.  7,  20.  21;  Acts  9.  22; 
above,  p  524;  or  Gen.  15,  1  in  connection  with  Genesis  14). 
With  the  instinct  of  a  hunter  the  catechist  must  be  after  those 
hints  ;  whatever  in  them  appeals  to  the  intuition  he  must  track 
down ;  focus  his  interest  upon  them,  and  fill  them  with  precious 
content  as  if  they  were  vessels.  But  these  processes — the  de- 
lineation of  the  external  conditions  as  well  as  the  illumination 
of  the  promptings  in  the  inner  world  of  the  actors,  can  enhance 
the  intuitional  character  of  the  narrative  only  when  the  cate- 
chist associates  and  compares  them  with  such  external  condi- 
tions and  experiences  of  the  inner  world  as  the  children  are 
already  conversant  with.  This  is  the  germ  of  truth  in  these 
attempts  at  modernizing  the  stories  of  the  Bible.  With  a  loud 
voice  they  call  to  the  catechist :  "Do  not  forget  the  connecting 
threads  between  the  home  of  the  child  and  the  home  of  your 
Bible  stories;  do  not  forget  the  fulcrums  for  the  apperceptive 
faculty  (p.  235)  in  the  sphere  of  the  children's  intellect  and 
experience;  look  for  them;  turn  them  to  account  if  your  narra- 
tive is  to  take  life  in  the  soul  of  your  child  and  quicken  it  to 
an  inner  experience  of  the  same". — If  we  name,  in  addition  to 
intuitiveness,  also  vividness  as  an  essential  attribute  of  an  effec- 
tive narration,  we  thereby  mean  not  only  a  noble,  animated 
delivery,  nor  merely  Fankhauser's  definition :  "Vividly  to  nar- 
rate' -means  So* to  narrate  that  the  story  lives  'in  us  a'nd/Ve  in' 


532  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  story",  but  also  what  Schueren  has  in  mind  when  he  empha- 
sizes the  necessity  for  the  catechist  to  have  experienced  the  vital 
power  of  the  story  in  his  own  heart,  whereby  his  narrative  be- 
comes at  the  same  time  a  vivid  testimony  of  the  divine  life 
within  him. — Finally,  narration  must  always  aim  for  the  goal. 
This  means  that  it  must  not  tarry  too  long  here  or  there,  least 
of  all  with  external  features;  there  must  be  no  coloring  for 
the  sake  of  the  color;  but,  examine  every  thing,  concerning  its 
value  in  leading  to  the  aim — the  precise  religious  or  moral 
truth  in  the  story  which  is  to  be  set  forth,  and  everything  must 
be  left  out,  no  matter  how  beautiful,  which  does  not  serve  the 
end  in  view — the  realization  of  that  truth :  thus  fashioned,  the 
narration  cannot  fail  to  be  instinct  with  it. 

If  the  story  is  told  in  the  manner  here  set  forth,  a  quickening 
of  the  emotions  through  the  intellect  will  be  the  result ;  the 
story  will  appear  precious  to  the  soul ;  it  will  become  a  factor 
of  its  inner  experience.  The  result  will  be  an  "ideal  associa- 
tion" (p.  291)  with  the  characters  of  the  Bible,  a  holy  avixirädeia 
(cp.  p.  252).  The  children  think,  feel,  grieve,  pray  with  them; 
they  plan,  strive,  suffer,  believe,  hope  with  them;  they  sing,  re- 
joice, shout  with  them.  But  what  a  power  for  culture,  edu- 
cation, discipline  of  the  will  that  means,  is  known  to  every 
pedagogue  (pp.  281.  283)  ! 

Last  of  all.  the  question  remains  to  be  answered 
whether  a  story  is  to  be  told  as  a  whole  or  in  sections. 
The  latter  method  has  found  the  most  advocates  in  the 
present;  and  the  author  has  not  hesitated  to  give,  in  the 
"Practical  Examples"  an  example  of  a  story  told  in 
installments.  But  he  is  convinced  that,  where  the  story 
really  constitutes  a  catechetical  unit,  is  not  of  undue 
length,  and  does  not  itself  make  one  or  two  very  sharp 
turns,  its  effect  upon  the  emotions  and  the  will  is  not 
subserved  if  it  is  told  in  sections  and  the  subject  matter 
reduced  to  the  words  of  the  schooltext,  in  order  to  be 
reproduced  by  the  children,  who,  in  addition,  are  directed 
to  find  the  heading  for  each  section,  before  the  next 
section  is  taken  up:  the  complete,  uninterrupted  narra- 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  533 

tion  is  every  time  much  surer  of  a  telling  effect,  and 
this  is  decisive  for  the  catechist.  When,  in  the  Bib- 
lical History  to  be  issued  by  the  author,  an  outline  of 
every  story  is  given  at  the  conclusion,  it  is  done  alto- 
gether in  the  interest  of  the  pupil,  to  aid  him  in  review- 
ing it  and  committing  it  to  memory.  But  when  the 
whole  story  has  been  exhaustively  told,  the  pupils  should 
be  directed  to  open  their  textbooks  on  Biblical  History 
and  read  the  story  or  recite  it  extemporaneously,  if  the 
latter  can  be  done  without  hardship. — Practical  ex- 
amples are   found  at  the  conclusion  of  the  section. 

4.  Penetration.  With  presentation,  if  effectual,  the 
most  important  feature  in  the  treatment  of  a  Biblical 
History  has  been  disposed  of.  A  picture,  clear  and  in- 
tuitional, of  the  story,  has  been  painted  for  the  children 
from  both  aspects,  external  and  internal ;  their  soul  has 
been  warmed  and  their  will  has  been  set  in  motion. 
But  the  process  is  as  yet  far  from  complete :  unless  other 
features  are  added  its  effect  will  be  lost  too  soon  and 
hardly  ever  cause  more  than  a  mere  mood.  Instruction 
and  training,  however,  dare  not  rest  content  with  the 
production  of  religious  and  moral  moods.  The  object 
to  be  attained  is :  Clear  convictions,  moral  and  reli- 
gious value  judgments,  a  consciousness  of  the  Christian 
*ife  as  a  real  life — as  the  receiving  of  God's  grace,  as  a 
struggle  against  sin,  as  a  life  of  work  according  to  God's 
will.  That  this  effect,  produced  by  the  story  upon  the 
child  soul,  be  perpetuated,  clarified,  confirmed,  deepened, 
and  made  fruitful  unto  life,  the  children  must  be  direct- 
ed once  more,  and  that  at  leisure,  to  look  the  characters 
of  the  story  in  the  face;  carefully  to  scrutinize  their 
thoughts  and  motives — in  short,  the  whole,  complex  of 
the  mental  and  moral  forces  impelling  them  to  action; 


534  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

to  examine  them  from  the  standpoint  of  their  religious 
and  moral  character ;  to  trace  carefully  the  consequences 
of  wicked  and  of  godly  conduct  to  make  the  relation  of 
God  to  man,  and  of  man  to  God  a  subject  of  meditation, 
so  that  faith,   love,  fidelity,  unselfishness,  etc.,   may   in 
their  majesty  confront  them  and  enthrall  them ;  and  that 
unbelief,  unfaithfulness,  hatred,  envy,  selfishness,  lying, 
etc.,  may  stand  revealed  in  their  disastrous  and  abhor- 
rent hideousness.     This  is  the  purpose  of  penetration. 
It  is  to  gather  in  leisure  all  the  illuminating  and  cheer- 
ing, but  also  all  the  repellent  and  portentous,  rays  of 
the  story ;  to  let  them,  for  all  time,  exert  their  inherent 
force  with  power,  and  thus  to  turn  to  account  the  edu- 
cative elements  of  the  story  for  the  training  of  the  young 
to  the  full  extent  possible.     Thus  in  penetration  the  last 
two  constitutive  elements  of  each  story  rather  than  the 
first  two  (p.  523)  must  be  emphasized.  For  here  the  cate- 
chist  comes  to  speak  of  the  outward  progress  of  the  story 
and  its  external  frame-work  only  in  order  to  enable  the 
catechumen  to  gaze  upon  the  inner  world  of  thoughts  and 
motives ;  to  recognize  moral  and  religious  values  ;  to  set 
forth  their  vital  importance,  and  to  awaken  respect  and 
desire  for  them.     When  this  is  understood,  it  must  be 
clear  that  penetration  deals  with  persons,  especially  the 
leading  persons  of  the  story,  in  accordance  with  the  fact 
that  formative,  educative  force  is  mostly  found  in  the 
persoual,  biographical  element  (p.  287).    Of  whom  have 
we  heard  in  this  story?     Or,  whom  do  you  like  best  in 
this  story? — these  are  the  first  questions  bound  to  be 
asked  again  and  again  when  the  stage  of  penetration  has 
been  reached.    When,  thereupon,  light  is  shed  upon  the 
thoughts  and  acts  of  those  persons,  the  teacher  should 
.see  to  it  that  the  children  apply  no  other  standard  of 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  535 

judgment  than  that  of  God.  While  sinful  actions  are  by 
no  means  excluded  from  illuminating  discussion,  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  go  unduly  into  detail  in  the  de- 
lineation of  sin,  lest  destructive  germs  are  deposited  in 
the  children's  hearts.  If  such  guidance  to  religious  and 
moral  value  judgments  is  given  by  one  who  himself 
loves  God  and  His  will,  it  is  by  no  means,  as  some  main- 
tain, the  critical  spirit,  with  its  desire  to  judge  others, 
which  is  awakened,  but  rather  the  children's  conscience ; 
that  which  is  good  in  itself  has  been  made  to  appear 
good  and  precious  also  to  them ;  and  what  is  evil  in  it- 
self has  been  made  to  appear  detestable.  While  shed- 
ding light  upon  men  and  their  doings,  the  catechist 
should  never  forget  shedding  light  upon  God  and  His 
doings.  His  attributes  and  nature  should  be  brought 
out  in  clearest  light  by  showing  in  every  story  His  inter- 
fering hand.  This  is  the  stage  of  instruction  in  which 
the  catechist,  in  conformity  to  the  example  of  Christ 
(John  17,  6),  is  to  reveal  to  his  pupils  the  name  of  God; 
that  is,  he  is  to  withdraw  the  veil,  so  that,  behind  His 
acts,  they  see  God  Himself  in  His  divine  nature  and 
recognize  Him  as  holy  love.,  as  absolute  personality 
(comp.  M.  Reu,  Unsere  Erziehungsarbeit  im  Lichte  von 
Joh.  17,  6,  Kirchl.  Zeitschrift,  1911,  pp.  453—466).  It 
is  often  desirable  that  the  most  important  points  brought 
out  in  penetration,  for  the  purpose  of  impressing  them 
indelibly  upon  the  children's  minds,  should  be  pronounc- 
ed in  unison  by  them  and  written  upon  the  black-board 
in  the  order  of  their  development.  When  this  is  done, 
an  easier  survey  is  attained,  the  final  summing  up  is 
made  easier,  and  the  service  of  the  eye  is  enlisted  in 
order  to  secure  a  more  lasting  effect  for  the  educative 


536  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

elements  found  in  the  story  (comp,  the  complete  prac- 
tical example  at  the  end  of  this  fifth  section). 

If  advisable  from  the  didactic  and  pedagogic  stand- 
point, there  should  be  joined  to  penetration  what  has 
been  called  by  the  disciples  of  Herbart  "association"  or 
"comparison";  but  only  in  that  case.  For  just  the  con- 
stant employment  of  association  and  comparison,  even 
when  its  use  is  forced  and  artificial,  and  when  the  ma- 
terial for  the  same  is  dragged  in  from  every  conceivable 
source, — just  this  has,  perhaps  not  without  reason,  large- 
ly occasioned  the  discredit  into  which  the  formal  step 
theory  has  fallen  with  many  educators.  What  is  to  be 
done  is  that  the  children  are  made  to  recall  for  them- 
selves the  other  stories  in  which  the  same  features  in 
the  doings  and  nature  of  God,  in  the  doings,  experiences, 
reflections  of  "men,  in  the  relation  of  cause  and  effect, 
have  aroused  their  attention.  Whether  such  stories  are 
taken  from  Biblical  History,  Church  History,  the  Read- 
er, or,  on  occasion,  even  from  other  disciplines ;  or  wheth- 
er they  are  taken  from  the  children's  own  experience, 
is  a  matter  of  no  consequence.  Such  stories  being  found, 
the  truth  developed  from  the  new  story  is  confirmed  and 
enhanced  in  power ;  its  universal  character  is  recognized 
by  the  child,  and  thus  it  becomes  in  his  eyes  an  incontest- 
able certainty,  and  a  factor  ever  to  be  reckoned  with. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  quote  examples ;  may  it  suf- 
fice to  call  attention  to  the  importance  of  trust  in  God 
as  shown  in  the  life  of  Abraham,  of  Moses,  of  David; 
to  the  effectual  prayers  of  Jacob,  of  Moses,  of  Solomon, 
of  Elijah,  etc.  Wrhile  such  comparison  is  not  always  re- 
quired, there  is  another  feature  of  discussion,  called 
generalization,  which  is  indispensable.  Invariably  the 
main  truth  developed   from  the   story   should  be  sum- 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  537 

marized  in  the  form  of  an  easily  remembered,  classical 
sentence,  which  may  be  borrowed  from  Scripture,  the 
Catechism,  or.  the  hymnodic  treasure  of  the  Church. 
Here  everything  is  gathered  as  in  a  focus.  Where  it 
was  possible  previously  successfully  to  employ  the  step 
of  comparison,  it  is  natural  that  the  truth  of  this  sum- 
marizing sentence  is  impressed  even  more  deeply  upon 
the  minds  of  the  children.  It  becomes  the  focus  in  which 
the  truth  not  of  one  but  of  many  stories  is  gathered. 
That  such  truth  dare  not  be  mechanically  grafted  upon 
the  presented  story,  but  should  vitally  grow  forth  from 
within,  follows  from  what  has  been  said.  If  presenta- 
tion always  should  point  goalward,  penetration  should 
even  more ;  every  constituent  part  of  penetration  should 
lead  in  a  straight  line  toward  the  passage  in  which  ulti- 
mately everything  is  gathered  together,  so  that  this 
summing  up  is  not  only  the  end  but  the  consummation 
of  penetration.  While,  in  penetration,  occasions  arrive 
for  the  introduction  of  Bible  verses,  stanzas  of  hymns, 
or  parts  of  the  Catechism  in  order  to  shed  light  upon 
some  subordinate  point,  these  must  yield  precedence  to 
the  golden  text,  the  ultimate  goal.  Since  the  work  of 
memorization  must  be  done  largely  in  school,  especially 
in  the  lower  grades,  this  golden  text  must  finally  be 
drilled  by  recitation  in  unison. 

As  to  the  outer  form  assumed  by  penetration,  not 
much  remains  to  be  said.  It  cannot  be  any  other  than  a 
natural  didactic  conversation.  While  the  didactic  ques- 
tion has  already  been  an  occasional  feature  of  the  de- 
scriptive and  detailed  narration,  the  principle  of  in- 
dependent activity  requires  that  penetration  should  al- 
together proceed  in  the  form  of  questions  and  answers, 
without,  of  course,  excluding  the  occasional  employment 


538  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

of  the  acroamatic  form.  The  practical  example  based 
on  the  story  of  Zachaeus  (at.  the  conclusion  of  section 
V)  should  be  converted  into  the  form  of  a  didactic  con- 
versation. 

5.  Application.  The  necessity  for  an  application  to 
follow  penetration  and,  likewise,  the  aim  of  the  same, 
has  been  demonstrated  in  ch.  32.  But  what  character 
is  the  application  to  bear?  At  the  very  outset,  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  caution  the  catechist  against  the  fallacy  that 
numerous  applications  are  required.  Just  as,  in  narra- 
tion, not  many  aims  but  only  one  should  be  kept  in 
view,  and,  during  the  progress  of  penetration,  in  spite 
of  the  employment  of  occasional  Scripture  passages, 
Catechism  sentences,  or  hymn  stanzas,  there  should  be 
but  one  summarizing  sentence,  so  the  catechist  should 
not  in  the  end  commit  the  error  of  making  many  appli- 
cations :  the  effect  of  that  would  be  that  none  has  made 
an  impression  deep  enough  to  become  a  fruitful  factor 
in  the  daily  life  of  the  children.  What  has  been  said  of 
the  preacher,  applies  to  the  catechist  as  well :  'There 
are  preachers  that  take  too  much  for  granted ;  they  take 
a  chest  full  of  truths  along  with  them  upon  the  pulpit, 
just  as  someone  might  take  a  chest  full  of  nails  ;  and 
then,  on  the  supposition  that  the  hearers  are  posts,  they 
take  out  a  nail  and  expect  it  somehow  to  enter  the  post 
of  itself.  But  that  is  not  the  right  way.  They  must  take 
the  nail,  hold  it  to  the  post,  hammer  it  in,  and  then 
clinch  it  on  the  other  side.  Not  until  then  have  they  the 
right  to  expect  that  the  great  Master  will  so  fasten  the 
nail  that  it  will  not  fall  out  again".  This  is  true  even 
more  of  the  catechist ;  for  children  are  even  less  able 
than  adults  to  take  home  with  them  a  mass  of  loosely 
applied  truths  and  to  make  them  a  factor  in  their  daily 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  539 

life.  And  just  as  but  one  application  is  to  be  made,  so 
this  one  application  should  not  be  a  general  one  but  one 
very  definite,  clearly  bounded  on  every  side ;  for  any 
application  necessarily  loses  force  in  the  degree  that  it 
is  general.  E.  g.,  when  the  story  of  Abraham's  depar- 
ture for  Canaan  is  to  find  its  application,  it  should  not 
be  formulated  like  this :  "Children,  you,  too,  must  be- 
lieve in  God",  but:  "though  God  asks  difficult  things  of 
us,  we  still  should  obey  Him,  confident  that  He  will  be 
with  us  and  bless  us".  Finally,  the  application  should 
be  something  more  than  a  mere  doctrine.  If  the  lat'ter 
were  the  desideratum,  the  application  would  mark  no 
progress  ;  for  the  doctrine  taught  by  the  story  has  al- 
ready been  found  by  penetration,  to  be  ultimately  gath- 
ered into  the  golden  text.  What  the  catechist  has  to 
do,  is  to  point  out  definite  incidents  in  the  life  of  the 
children  and  show,  in  contrast  to  their  real  conduct,  what 
it  ought  to  have  been.  To  this  end  he  will  go  with  them 
into  the  past  or  future  of  their  own  life,  in  order  to  train 
the  conscience  for  a  recognition  of  sin,  and  to  awaken 
in  them  wholesome  purposes  and  resolutions.  More- 
over, it  is  their  life,  not  that  of  others,  to  which  appli- 
cation will  have  to  be  made ;  for  in  their  present  life, 
as  children,  they  have  to  begin  to  adapt  themselves  in  all 
seriousness  to  the  religious  and  moral  truths  of  Scrip- 
ture. Instruction  is  to  be  more  than  a  mere  aggregate 
of  directions  to  the  children  regarding  their  conduct  in 
the  future.  Also  as  adults  they  will  deem  it  a  matter  of 
course  in  all  things  to  consult  the  will  of  God,  if,  as 
children,  in  their  relation  to  parents  and  teachers,  to 
brothers  and  sisters,  to  the  neighbor  and  the  neighbor's 
children,  in  the  house  and  in  the  garden,  while  at  work 
and  while  at  play,  they  were  accustomed  to  conform  to 


540  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

that  will.  The  skill  of  the  teacher  will  have  its  mettle 
tested  in  the  attempt  to  restate  the  great  deeds  of  the 
Bible  characters  in  the  terms  of  the  children's  humble 
life.  He  who  deems  himself  too  great  for  that  or  even 
looks  upon  it  as  a  triviality,  may  make  many  an  ap- 
plication quite  good  in  itself;  but  the  souls  of  the  chil- 
dren he  will  not  touch ;  and  it  is  his  fault  when  the 
children  fail  to  locate  the  channels  into  which  the  vital 
forces  quickened  in  them  are  to  issue ;  when  the  life 
awakened  in  their  hearts  through  presentation  and  the 
penetration  evaporates  without  fruitage,  and  thus  al- 
ready in  youth  that  cleavage  is  formed  between  knowl- 
edge and  life,  worship  and  every-day  life,  which  after- 
ward, in  adult  life,  proves  so  difficult  of  removal.  Not 
seldom  a  short,  well-chosen,  in  every  way  germane  story 
is  best  suited  to  open  the  eyes  of  the  children  for  the 
duty  suggested  by  the  biblical  narrative  with  which  they 
have  dealt.  Of  course,  the  story  intended  to  clinch  the 
application  should  not  likewise  be  taken  from  the  Bible ; 
it  should  be  one  from  life,  from  the  present,  from  Mis- 
sions ;  though  this  is  not  an  invariabble  rule,  it  should 
be  a  juvenile  story — only  one,  however,  not  a  number 
of  them. 

The  catechist  will  find  much  material  useful  for  presentation 
in  H.  Witt,  Die  Biblischen  Geschichten  Alten  u.  Neuen  Testa- 
ments mit  Bibelwort  u.  freier  Zwischenrede  anschaulich  darge- 
stellt, 3  vols,  21883;  G.  Staebler,  Jesus,  der  Schoenste  unter  den 
Menschenkindern.  Stuttgart,  1905  (however,  everything  requires 
re-statement  in  terms  familiar  to  children) ;  M.  R.  Unger,  Bei- 
traege  zur  erbaulichen  Behandlung  des  Religionsunterrichts  auf 
der  Unterstufe,  Dresden,  1912;  C.  Stuckert,  Jesusgeschichten, 
Basel,  1910 — 1914.  Especially  in  G.  Fankhauser,  Der  Weg  zum 
Kinde,  1915  ff.,  and  in  M.  Reu,  How  I  tell  the  Bible  stories  to  my 
children.  1918. — For  penetration  and  application  in  J.  Nissen, 
Unterredungen     ueber     die     biblischen     Geschichten,     1888;     E. 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  541 

Thraendorf  and  H.  Meltzer,  Der  Religionsunterricht,  5  vols, 
second  ed.,  1905  ff. ;  A.  Reukauf  and  E.  Heyn,  Ev.  Religions- 
unterricht, vol.  3 — 9,  second  ed.,  1906  ff. ;  H.  Spanuth,  Praepara- 
tionen  fuer  den  ev.  Religionsunterricht,  four  parts,  1909  ff. ;  but 
preeminently  in  G.  Friedrich  (Rienecker),  Der  Herr  bleibt  ein 
Koenig  in  Ewigkeit.  Unterredungen  lieber  die  biblische  Ge- 
schichte d.  N.  Testaments,  Neinstadt,  1911,  and  G.  Fr.  Rienecker, 
Gottes  Wort  bleibt  in  Ewigkeit.  Unterredungen  ueber  Ge- 
schichten des  A.  Test.,  same  pl.,  1912. — For  application  in  G. 
Staebler,  Sammlung  von  Erzaehlungen  und  Grundgedanken  f.  d. 
Unterricht  in  der  biblischen  Geschichte,  Stuttgart,  1902  f. ;  J. 
Heininger,  Anwendungen  biblischer  Geschichten,  Basel,  1900; 
E.  Zeller,  Andachten  fuer  Kinder,  Basel,  second  ed.,  1914;  scme 
material  also  in  G.  v.  Viehbahn;  Von  der  Landstrasse  des  Le- 
bens, second  ed.,  1908,  and  in  the  Kings's  Highway  Series, 
edited  by  H.  Sneath,  G.  Hodges,  and  H.  H.  Tweedy,  8  vols, 
1917. 

Thus  far  we  have  not  taken  into  consideration  the 
several  grades  in  which  the  Bible  stories  are  to  be 
treated.  But  even  in  doing-  so,  little  need  be  added,  with 
this  exception,  that,  naturally,  everything  has  to  be  made 
much  more  child-like  and  simple  in  the  lower  than  in 
the  upper  grades.  But  even  here  the  steps  named  above 
can  be  retained ;  that  penetration  and  generalization  may 
he  successfully  employed  in  the  lower  grade,  has  been 
clearly  shown  by  Fankhauser  and  Unger.  It  is  quite 
true,  however,  that  it  will  at  times  be  sufficient  for  the 
lower  grades  to  narrate  the  story  in  an  intuitional  man- 
ner, and  to  make  the  narration  issue  in  the  golden  text 
as  the  summing  up  of  its  main  truth.  In  the  upper  grade 
penetration  and  application  are  to  be  cultivated  with  par- 
ticular care.  If  the  same  stories  recur  in  all  three 
Courses,  as  is  often  the  case  according  to  the  course  of 
studies  for  parish  schools,  given  in  Chapter  31,  it  is  not 
necessarily  the  same  truth  which  has  to  be  placed  in  the 
foreground.     The  individual  stories  are  at  times  so  rich 


542  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

in  content  that  they  suggest  a  variety  of  inner  aims ; 
and  often  the  mental  development  of  the  children  does 
not  permit  the  specification  of  the  ultimate  intent  of  the 
story  until  the  Third  or  Upper  Course  has  been  reached. 
The  story  of  the  stilling  of  the  tempest  can  be  treated  in 
such  a  manner  that  only  this  truth  becomes  obvious : 
The  Savior  saves  His  own  when  danger  overcomes 
them ;  but  also  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  made  to  teach : 
"If  God  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us?"  The  pupils 
in  the  First  or  Lower  Course  understand  the  former ; 
the  second  is  required  for  the  pupils  of  the  Third  or  Up- 
per Course.  The  story  of  Zachaeus  can  be  treated  from 
the  point  of  view :  Even  the  publican  is  not  too  bad 
for  the  Savior ;  He  enters  his  house,  for  the  Son  of  Man 
is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  is  lost ;  but  also 
from  this  :  If  airyone  is  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature ; 
and  even  from  the  third :  To  receive  forgiveness  of  sins 
from  Jesus  and  to  right  the  old  wrong,  is  the  way  to 
true  happiness.  The  story  of  the  wedding  at  Cana  can 
be  made  to  issue  in  the  aim  :  The  Savior  is  almighty, 
for  He  can  turn  water  into  wine ;  but  also  in  this  :  Jesus' 
glory  consists  in  being  a  powerful  helper  also  in  the 
small  troubles  of  dailv  life.  The  consideration  of  the 
suffering  of  Christ  may  stop  in  the  First  Course  at  the 
bodily  anguish  ;  in  the  Intermediate  Course  stress  may 
be  laid  upon  the  inner  anguish  occasioned  by  the  un- 
faithfulness of  the  disciples  and  the  people's  unbelief ; 
while  the  most  difficult  feature  may  be  reserved  for  the 
Upper  Course:  the  enduring  of  the  divine  wrath.  The 
sacrifice  of  Isaac  may  be  made  to  show  that  Abraham 
loves  God  more  than  his  son ;  but  also  that  Abraham's 
faith  was  staunch  and  equal  to  the  very  greatest  trial ; 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  543 

and,  finally,  Abraham  and  Isaac  may  be  held  up  as  types 
of  Christ  and  God  the  Father. 

"In  Quarta  the  pupils  are  shown,  in  the  light  of  Saul's  con- 
version, "how  God  defeats  and  hinders  every  evil  counsel  and 
purpose,  which  would  not  let  His  kingdom  come".  For  that  class, 
according  to  their  course  of  study,  comes  to  this  story  after 
having  studied  the  conflict  of  the  Sanhedrin  with  the  Christians, 
the  martyr  death  of  Stephen,  and  the  dispersion  of  the  Chris- 
tians. The  assurance  that  Christ  is  risen  from  the  dead,  that 
He  "lives  and  reigns"  is  nothing  new  for  them.  This  assurance, 
based  on  what  had  been  taught  in  Quinta  is  now  merely  con- 
firmed. In  Tertia  where  the  Life  and  Teaching  of  Paul  is 
treated,  it  is  a  different  truth  that  should  be  brought  out.  There 
the  theme  of  the  story  (outer  aim)  is  not;  'How  is  the  most 
furious  persecutor  of  the  Church  conquered  by  God?'  but:  'How 
did  Paul  come  to  faith  in  Jesus  Christ?'  And  the  answer  is: 
'God  revealed  to  him  His  Son'  (Gal.  1,  11).  'He  was  laid  hold 
on  by  Christ'  (Phil.  3,  12).  'By  the  grace  of  God  I  am  what  1 
am'  (1  Cor.  15,  10).  'By  grace  are  ye  saved'  (Eph.  2,  8)  :  this  is 
now  the  saving  truth  drawn  from  the  very  same  story.  For 
that  there  is  no  time  and  mental  readiness  yet  in  Quarta.  And 
still  different  will  be  the  statement  of  aim  and  the  generaliza- 
tion of  the  saving  truth  in  Upper  Secunda.  There  the  subject 
under  consideration  is  the  apostolate  of  Paul,  the  divine  origin 
of  his  Gospel,  the  history  of  the  conflict  between  a  free  Chris- 
tian faith  and  the  Christian  faith  as  perverted  by  Pharisaism, 
or  of  the  transition  from  Judaistic  Christianity  to  Gentile  Chris- 
tianity; and  Bible  verses  like  2  Cor  4,  6;  1  Cor.  2,  9  f .  (in  con- 
nection with  2  Pet.  1,  16 — 21;  John  1,  14)  now  summarize  in 
classic  words  the  saving  truth  of  the  self-same  story."  While 
these  words  of  Zange  (p.  186)  presuppose  other  educational  con- 
ditions than  those  prevailing  among  us.  they  constitute  a  not- 
able testimony  to  the  cause  to  which  we  stand  committed. 
Let  this  be  noted  by  our  American  sticklers  for  method,  who 
deem  it  unpsychological  and  unmethodical  to  permit  the  same 
story  to  recur  in  a  "Graded  Series",  and  who  take  recourse  to  all 
kinds  of  material  to  avoid  this.  Zange,  a  man  of  pre-eminent 
training,  both  as  a  psychologist  and  a  schoolman,  goes  so  far  as 


544  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

to  add :     "Another  proof  how  necessary   it  is  to  return  to  the 
same  material  in  the  successive  grades".     Cp.  p.  471. 

While,  in  the  Sunday  school,  the  narration  of  the 
story  intended  for  all  the  children  in  the  Second  Course 
(comp.  p.  466)  can  naturally  move  toward  one  aim  only, 
the  higher  aims  can  at  least  be  suggested  to  the  pupil 
by  the  "Questions  for  Review"  in  the  Lesson  Helps  for 
the  Intermediate  and  Junior  Departments  when  the 
teacher  of  the  class  is  not  mature  enough  to  lead  up  to 
them  himself. 

The  method  of  teaching  here  recommended  requires 
time ;  an  hour  is  not  sufficient  for  all  the  successive  steps. 
Nor  is  it  necessary  to  mount  them  all  in  one  hour. 
In  the  parish  school  the  work  of  the  day  may  close  with 
the  presentation  and  the  subsequent  reading  of  the  story 
from  the  textbook  on  Biblical  History.  It  wiil  be  the 
duty  of  the  class  thereupon  to  read  the  story  several 
times  until  the  next  lesson,  in  which  penetration  and  ap- 
plication take  the  place  of  the  mechanical  questioning 
which  is  still  widely  in  vogue.  In  the  Sunday  school  the 
story  is  told  to  the  whole  Second  Course  or  Department 
in  a  detailed  manner,  as  explained  above.  Because 
such  narration  is  most  calculated  to  arouse  the  feelings 
of  the  children  and  to  move  their  will,  it  should  never 
be  omitted;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  preparation, 
not  the  statement  of  aim,  will  often,  for  lack  of  time, 
be  left  out.  Whereupon  the  story  (together  with  the 
Bible  verses  belonging  to  it)  may  be  read  by  the  several 
grades  from  the  Lesson  Helps  adapted  to  them,  under 
the  supervision  of  the  teachers  in  charge,  and  the  Bible 
verses  be  drilled  by  recitation  in  unison.  The  deter- 
mination of  the  aim  and  presentation  having  taken  place 
in  Sunday  school,  penetration  and  application  may  take 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  545 

place  in  the  following  session  of  the  Saturday  school 
(p.  475)  ;  while,  on  the  Sunday  following,  after  the 
presentation  by  the  superintendent  of  the  school,  and  the 
reading  of  the  new  story,  the  teacher  of  the  individual 
grade  reviews  the  old  story  at  the  hand  of  review  ques- 
tions such  as  are  appended  to  every  lesson  in  the  Wart- 
burg  Lesson  Helps.  The  same  method  recommended 
above  for  a  regular  parish  school  can  without  difficulty 
be  observed  in  the  partial  parish  school,  comprising  the 
children  of  12  and  13  years.  It  is  true,  not  every  story 
can  here  be  gone  through  with  thoroughness  according 
to  the  method  here  described,  although  a  lesson  from 
Biblical  History  is  assigned  for  every  forenoon;  but  that 
is  no  great  loss  when  one  has  done  his  duty  in  the  Sun- 
day and  Saturday  school.  Some  of  the  stories  are  taken 
up  merely  by  way  of  review,  leaving  for  thorough  treat- 
ment only  the  more  important  lessons  upon  the  Sun- 
day school  calendar,  and  those  which  in  Sunday  school 
had  been  omitted  entirely. 

When  the  end  of  a  group  of  stories  has  been  reach- 
ed, a  review  may  be  undertaken  for  the  sake  of  the  drill, 
where  a  detailed  sketch  of  the  most  important  character 
is  to  be  drawn,  or  the  principal  characteristics  of  God 
and  the  persons  that  appear  in  relief  upon  the  back- 
ground of  the  review  lessons  be  assembled,  always 
with  a  view  to  the  training  of  souls  (p.  534).  A  sketch 
germane  to  the  points  here  made  is  found  among  the 
Practical  Examples  at  the  end  of  this  section. 

A  concomitant  feature  of  the  treatment  of  any  one 
Bible  story  may  at  times  be  reading  from  the  Bible. 
In  connection  with  important  phases  of  the  discussion, 
especially  when  the  steps  of  comparison  and  generali- 
zation have  been  reached,  the  upper  grade  may  read — 


546  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

directly  from  the  Bible  instead  of  the  textbook — any 
psalm  or  section  that  comports  well  with  the  truth  de- 
veloped (cp.  p.  412)  ;  for  instance,  in  connection  with  the 
story  of  creation,  Ps.  104  and  8;  in  connection  with  the 
passage  through  the  Red  Sea,  the  song  of  Moses  and 
Miriam ;  in  connection  with  David's  shepherd  life,  Ps. 
23 :  in  connection  with  the  story  of  his  fall  and  sub- 
sequent repentance.  Ps.  51  and  32;  in  connection  with  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  Lamentations ;  at  the  turning 
points  in  the  history  of  the  kings,  passages  from  the 
prophets ;  in  connection  with  the  exile,  sections  from  Isa- 
iah 40 — 66;  in  connection  with  the  return  of  Israel  from 
Babylon,  Ps.  126;  in  connection  with  the  episode  of 
Caesarea-Philippi  (Matth.  16),  Is.  49;  in  connection  with 
crucifixion,  Isa.  53  ;  in  connection  with  the  ascension,  Ps. 
110;  on  Pentecost,  the  pertinent  section  from  Joel,  etc. 
— That  the  most  important  facts  of  Biblical  Geography, 
Natural  History,  etc.,  should  be  associated  in  part  with 
the  preparation,  in  part  with  presentation  and  penetra- 
tion, follows  readily  from  the  foregoing.  There  are 
places  where  such  facts  should  be  brought  out  with  tel- 
ling effect.  When,  e.  g.,  the  journey  through  the  wil- 
derness is  the  subject,  let  the  needed  geographical  in- 
formation about  the  peninsula  of  Sinai  be  given ;  when 
the  class  enters  Canaan  with  Israel,  an  accurate  survey  of 
the  country  should  be  afforded;  when  it  is  taught  that 
God  gave  Israel  every  blessing  promised,  an  exhaustive 
picture  of  Israel's  life  and  happiness  should  be  painted 
(cp.  Practical  Examples)  ;  later  the  class  should  follow 
Israel  to  Babylon  and  back ;  the  Christmas  story  with  its 
mention  of  Nazareth,  Bethlehem,  and  the  land  of  Ju- 
dah  furnishes  the  occasion  for  a  discussion  of  the  divi- 
sions of  the  Holy  Land  in  that  period  of  its   history, 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  Biblical  History  547 

which  should  be  illuminated  by  constant  reference  to  the 
map,  Emperor  Augustus  suggesting  the  same  treatment 
for  the  Roman  Empire ;  when  the  pupils  travel  with  the 
twelve-year-old  Jesus  lad,  the  journey  should  be  traced 
upon  the  map;  Paul's  missionary  journeys  are  alto- 
gether impossible  without  that  adjunct.  Places  like 
Jerusalem,  Bethlehem,  Nazareth,  and  Capernaum  lend 
themselves  to  geographical  illumination  (cp.  Practical 
Examples). 

Concerning  the  use  of  biblical  pictures  in  connection 
with  the  several  stories,  the  following  remarks  are 
finally  in  place.  That  the  use  of  biblical  pictures  de- 
serves encouragement  as  a  stimulus  for  the  intuitive 
faculty,  goes  without  saying,  however  erroneous  the 
ooinion  is  that  by  such  use  alone  the  intuitive  faculty 
is  stimulated.  There  are  catechists  who  use  pictures 
diligently,  without  appealing  to  the  intuition  in  their 
instruction ;  for  the  inward  intuition,  as  above  described 
(pp.  528  ff.),  is  more  important  than  the  employment  of 
the  finest  pictures.  However  that  may  be,  the  internal 
intuition  is  enhanced  and  prolonged  when  the  external 
intuition  is  facilitated  by  a  really  good  picture.  But 
when  is  the  picture  to  be  exhibited  and  put  to  use?  Be- 
fore the  presentation,  during  the  presentation,  or  in  con- 
nection with  the  application?  Each  of  these  three  views 
has  found  its  advocates.  The  exhibition  of  the  picture 
before  the  presentation  presupposes  that  the  picture 
shall  be  made  the  starting-point  for  the  whole  process 
of  instruction.  For  the  so-called  intuitional  method 
of  instruction  in  the  home  or  lowest  grade  of  the  Sun- 
day school  that  is  the  proper  method ;  for  there  the  in- 
ward intuition  is  still  secondary  (compare  Wartburg 
Lesson  Helps,  first  course ;  Wangemann  in  his  "Zwan- 


548  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

zig  Anschauungsbilder  fuer  den  ersten  Unterricht  in  der 
Biblischen  Geschichte"  and  in  his  "Anweisung  zum  Ge- 
brauch der  20  Anschauungsbilder''  goes  too  much  into 
detail);  but  in  the  same  degree  in  which  the  mental 
development  of  the  children  progresses,  facilitating  as 
well  as  requiring  the  inward  intuition,  this  method  loses 
utility.  The  children,  when  the  detailed  narration  is 
in  progress,  are  still  too  much  occupied  with  the  pic- 
ture to  be  open  to  the  inward  intuition  intended  by  the 
narration ;  and  even  the  teacher  tends  to  confine  himself 
to  the  cultivation  of  a  purely  outward  intuition.  He  who 
puts  the  picture  to  use  in  connection  with  the  stage  of 
application,  is  actuated  by  notions  far  removed  from  the 
purpose  of  biblical  instruction  and  based  upon  the  pre- 
sumption that  the  pupils  are  possessed  of  a  degree  of 
mental  maturity  that  is  ordinarily  rare  even  in  the 
Upper  Course  of  our  parish  schools.  The  children  are 
here  held  to  express  an  opinion  upon  the  picture  and  its 
most  salient  features,  upon  the  ideas  put  by  the  artist 
upon  canvas ;  this  tends  to  place  the  picture  in  the  service 
of  esthetic  culture.  When  we  consider  that  the  picture, 
if  it  is  at  all  valuable  from  the  catechetical  standpoint, 
represents  the  climax  of  the  action,  it  is  not  likely  that 
any  other  use  of  it  can  be  justified  than  its  exhibition 
in  the  middle  of  the  illuminating  narration ;  that  is,  just 
when  the  climax  has  been  reached  and  the  inward  in- 
tuition has  already  taken  place.  In  that  case  the  pic- 
ture does  not  divert  the  attention  of  the  pupils  but 
rather  gives  strength  and  depth  to  the  inward  intuition, 
which  is  now  aided  by  the  eye.  Having  reached  the  cli- 
max, the  narrator  can  properly  make  a  pause  and  give 
a  little  time  to  a  discussion  of  the  principal  features  of 
the  picture.     If  the  latter  crystallizes  as  it  should,   the 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  549 

thoughts  of  the  characters  of  the  story,  there  will  be 
occasion  to  recur  to  it  during  the  penetration. 

Among  the  series  of  pictures  which  can  be  put  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  schools,  those  by  Julius  Schnorr,  of  Carolsfeld,  still 
maintain  first  place,  although  this  pertains  rather  to  those  on 
the  Old  Testament.  Heilmann,  as  late  as  1911,  passes  the 
opinion  :  "No  one  else  could  bring  so  much  artistic  power  and 
religious  understanding  to  bear  upon  the  sacred  material  as  he. 
In  regard  to  magnificence  of  composition  and  passionate  inter- 
pretation these  Bible  pictures  have  hitherto  never  been  sur- 
passed. .  .  To  illustrate  the  story  of  creation,  of  revelation,  of 
the  patriarchs  and  prophets,  no  grander  illustrations  are  to  be 
found.  A  valuable  feature  of  pedagogic  and  religious  moment 
is  their  immaculate  moral  character  and  subiime  religiousness". 
Another  merit  is  that  they  usually  represent  the  climax  of  the 
action.  In  the  New  Testament  the  series  by  Hofmann  and 
Schramm  excels.  There  are  valuable  features  in  the  collection 
of  Morgan  and  Copping,  in  the  equally  superlatively  realistic 
series  by  Karl  Schmauk — much  better  than  the  collection  of 
Morgan  as  regards  execution  of  detail,  and  in  the  collection 
made  by  the  "Gesellschaft  fuer  christliche  Kunst"  in  Munich. 
Recently  the  Catholic  Fugel,  has  probably  produced  the  best 
series,  twelve  Old  Testament  and  as  man}'  New  Testament  pic- 
tures being  published.  Among  the  pictures  illustrative  of  the 
parables,  those  by  E.  Burnand  have  justly  received  renown. 
Compare  the  instructive  monograph  of  the  Catholic  Alfonse 
Heilmann,  Bibel-Bilder,  Gedanken  zur  religionspaedagogischen 
Wertung  biblischer   Kunst,   Kempten,    1911. 

35.     The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism. 

Compare  literature  in  eh.  14,  26,  and  32. — G.  v.  Zezschwitz 
11-:  Die  Katechese  od.  die  kirchliche  Unterrichtsmethode, 
1869.— F.  Zange  (pp.  167—241),  1897.— A.  Eckert  (pp.  116—163), 
1QQ0__J.  Gottschick  (pp.  179—186).  1908— J.  Berndt  (pp.  99— 
105).  1909.— R.  Kabisch  (pp.  240—247),  1910.— J.  Steinbeck  (pp. 
201—218).  1914.— M.  Reu,  Quellen  z.  Gesch.  d.  kirchl.  Unter- 
richts, 1904ft— O.  Schoenhuth,  Methodenlehre,  1903.— R.  F.  Grau, 
Luthers  Katechismus  erklaert  aus  bibl.  Theologie.  1891. — A. 
Scheller,   Die  paedagogische   Bedeutung  d.  luth.   1.   Hauptstuek- 


550  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

kes,  1905. — F.  Niebergall,  Die  paulinische  Erloesungslehre  i. 
Konfirmandenunterricht,  21908. — K.  Eger,  Taufe  und  Abend- 
mahl im  kirchl.  Unterricht  der  Gegenwart.  1911. — H.  Mattb.es, 
Der  2.  Artikel  auf  bibl.  geschichtl  Grundlage,  1913. — D.  Vorwerk, 
Gebet  und  Gebetserziehung,  1913. — Practical  Helps:  J.  Nissen, 
Unterredungen  ueber  den  kl.  Katech.  L's  (111889),  1855.— F.  W. 
Schuetze,  Entwuerfe  und  Katechesen  zu  Luthers  kl.  Katechis- 
mus, 3  parts  01888),  1865.— K.  Euler,  Handbuch  z.  kl.  Kat.  L's. 
fuer  Lehrer  und  Pfarrer,  21874. — L.  Wangemann,  Einfuehrg.  i.  d. 
Verstaendnis  d.  Luth.  Katech.,  3  parts.  1880  ff. — H.  Cremer,  Un- 
terweisung i.  Christentum  nach  L's.  kl.  Katech..  1883. — O.  Zuck, 
Katechesen  ueber  L's.  Katech.,  1883. — G.  v.  Zezschwitz,  Christen- 
lehre, 21883ff.— J.  Chr.  G.  Schumann,  Handbuch  d.  Katechis- 
musunterrichts. 3  parts.  1884  ff.— F.  H.  Kahle,  Der  kl.  Kat.  L's. 
anschaulich,  kurz  u.  einfach  erklaert.  "1886. — K.  Buchrucker,  Der 
Katechismusunterricht.  -'1886. — A.  Nebe,  Der  kl.  Kat.  ausge- 
legt aus  Luthers  katech.  Werken.  1891. — Fr.  Oehmke,  Die  5 
Hauptstuecke  d.  luth.  Katech.  katechetisch  bearb.,  31891. — Ziethe, 
v.  Rohden,  Heydt,  Die  unterrichtliche  Behandlung  des  6.  Ge- 
bots in  der  Schule.  131894. — A.  Gruellich,  Skizzen  z.  unterrichtl. 
Behandlung  d.  kl.  Katech.  L's..  -1899.— Th.  Hardeland,  Die 
katech.  Behandlung  d.  kl.  Katech.  L's.  in  Unterredungen,  1899. 
— J.  H.  A.  Fricke,  Handbuch  d.  Katechismusunterrichts,  3  parts. 
31889. — S.  Bang,  Katechetische  Bausteine  zu  christozentrischer 
Behandlung  des  1.  Hauptstuecks,  21901. — G.  Heimerdinger,  Prae- 
parationen  f.  d.  Katechismusunterricht,  1901. — W.  Beyschlag, 
Christenlehre  auf  Grund  d.  kl.  Kat...  31903.— R.  Staude,  Der 
Katechismusunterricht,  3  parts,  21903 — 08. — M.  v.  Nathusius, 
Die  christl.  Lehre  nach  L's.  kl.  Kat...  1904.— G.  Kaelker,  Der 
Katechismusstoff  f.  d.  5.-8.  Schuljahr.  1904.— A.  Eckert,  Der 
Katechismusstoff  d.  Konfirmandenunterrichts  (3d  to  5th  Part) 
in  synthetischem  Gang  u.  psychologischer  Stoffordnung,  1905. — 
A.  and  F.  Falcke,  Praeparationen  z.  Unterricht  i.  L's.  kl.  Katech., 
"'1906. — R.  Steinmetz,  Katechismusgedanken;  Beitrag  z.  katech. 
Behandlung  d.  5  Hauptstuecke  i.  Kirche  u.  Schule,  3  parts. 
1906 — 13. — Hahne,  Praeparationen  f.  d.  Katechismusunterricht. 
21909. — A.  Eckert,  Kinderkatechismus  f.  Schule  u.  Kirche.  1.  u. 
2.  Hauptstueck,  1909. — J.  Kolbe,  Der  kl.  Katech.  L's.  in  ausge- 
fuehrten  Katechesen,  71911. — K.  Eger,  Katechismustafeln.  1911. 
— O.     Hardeland,     52     Konfirmandenstunden.     "T914. — E.    Heyn, 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  551 

Katechismusunterricht  (Reukauf  u.  Heyn,  Ev.  Religionsunter- 
richt), -1913. — K.  Eger,  Evangelische  Jugendlehre;  Hilfsbuch 
z.  religioesen  Jugendunterweisung  nach  Luthers  Katech.,  21912. 
— Th.  Kaftan,  Auslegung  d.  luth.  Katech.,  «1913.— H.  J.  Schuh, 
Catechizations  on  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  1914. — Geo.  W. 
Lose,  Catechism  Bible  Narratives.  A  Series  of  Bible  Narratives 
on  the  Five  Chief  Parts  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  1915. — 
On  Application:  K.  Caspari,  Geistliches  und  Weltliches,  231915. 
— P.  v,  Zychlinski,  Illustrierende  Aussprueche,  Sentenzen  und 
Geschichten  z.  Gottes  Wort,  1900. — L.  Pestalozzi  Die  christl. 
Lehre  i.  Beispielen,  31901. — Baum,  Erzaehlungen  und  Beispiele 
z.  kl.  Katech.  L's.,  -T907. — J.  Besch,  Aus  der  Lernstube  des  Le- 
bens, -1913. — Im  Strom  des  Lebens.  Altes  u.  Neues  z.  Belebung 
d.  relig.  Jugendunterweisung,  dargeboten  v.  Leipziger  Lehrer- 
verein.— Narratives  on  the  Catechism  (Columbus,  O.). — G.  War- 
neck,  Die  Mission  i.  d.  Schule,  141912.— Th.  Schaefer,  Die  In- 
nere Mission  i.  d.  Schule,  T1912. — O.  Koenig,  Die  Mission  i. 
Katechismusunterricht,  1913. — F.  W.  Foerster,  Jugendlehre,  65th 
Thousand,  1915. — Compare  also  "The  King's  Highway  Series" 
by  Sneath,  Hodges,  and  Tweedy,  and  "The  Golden  Rule  Series" 
by  Sneath,  Hodges,  and  Stevens. 

True  as  it  is  that  instruction  in  Biblical  History, 
if  it  be  of  the  right  sort,  is  at  the  same  time  an  intro- 
duction into  the  truths  of  the  Catechism,  separate  in- 
struction in  the  latter  remains  necessary  notwithstand- 
ing. It  is  only  so  that  the  young  can  receive  a  concise 
and  comprehensive  introduction  to  the  faith  as  it  lives 
in  the  mature  congregation  and  is  to  be  borne  witness  to 
by  it  in  all  conditions  of  life  (pp.  342  ff.).  The  method  of 
such  separate  instruction  in  the  Catechism  is  the  next 
subject  claiming  our  attention. 

If  the  aim  of  religious  instruction  as  a  whole  has 
been  rightly  described  on  p.  312,  and  if  instruction  in 
the  Catechism  is  a  part  of  religious  instruction  in  gen- 
eral, it  must  contribute  its  part  to  the  attainment  of 
that  aim.     This  being  so,  every  method  is  erroneous  by 


552  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

which  those  sacred  truths  which  are  so  vital  in  the  life 
of  the  mature  congregation  fail  to  find  an  anchorage 
in  the  intellectual  life  of  the  young,  so  that  their  feel- 
ings are  not  aroused  to  a  lively  interest  in  those  truths 
and  their  will  is  not  moved  to  corresponding  action. 
Such  being  the  aim  of  instruction  in  the  Catechism,  the 
method  in  vogue  in  Reformation  times  is  precluded  as 
suitable  for  adoption  in  the  present.  It  is  true  that  all 
the  elements  necessary  to  an  efficient  method  were  on 
hand.  Luther  added  biblical  pictures  to  his  Cate- 
chism, and  most  catechists  followed  his  example  in  their 
editions  of  Luther's  Catechism.  Luther  had  advised  in 
the  preface  to  adduce  liberal  illustrations  from  Scrip- 
ture (p.  125)  ;  also  in  this  regard  there  is  no  lack  of  fol- 
lowers, among  whom  Loener,  1544,  and  the  author  of  the 
Joachimsthal  Catechism,  1574,  are  prominent.  The 
practise  prevailed  of  connecting  the  Catechism  with  the 
Bible  and  of  adducing  Bible  passages  for  whatever  cate- 
chetical thesis  required  verification ;  for  instance,  Loe- 
ner, 1544,  Huberinus,  1544,  Jos.  Opitz,  1583.  The  hymn 
was  linked  to  the  instruction  in  the  Catechism,  not  only 
in  so  far  as,  in  the  catechetical  period  on  Sunday,  a  suit- 
able hymn  was  joined  to  the  part  of  the  Catechism  con- 
stituting at  the  time  being  the  subject  for  instruction  (a 
very  common  practise),  but  also  by  adducing  illumina- 
ting hymn  stanzas  in  connection  with  the  several  parts 
of  the  Catechism  (e.  g.,  G.  Walther,  1581).  Victorius, 
in  1591,  even  published  a  catechism,  in  which  the  re- 
spective text  was  framed  by  a  biblical  picture,  the  text 
of  a  pertinent  Bible  story,  printed  in  full,  and  a  number 
of  Bible  passages.  However,  this  material  was  not 
turned  to  account  for  the  development  and  adoption  of 
an  efficient  method.     It  was  deemed  sufficient  that  the 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  553 

father  should  recite  the  several  parts  of  the  Catechism 
before  the  family,  and  the  teacher  before  his  class,  where- 
upon they  were  repeated  until  retained  by  the  memory. 
When  catechisms  with  explanations  came  into  vogue, 
the  explanations  were  taught  in  the  same  way.  Begin- 
nings of  a  better  method  were  found,  such  as  were  prac- 
ticed, for  instance,  by  Camerarius,  who  would  expound 
the  catechetical  material  to  the  upper  classes  of  the 
higher  schools  in  a  coherent  discourse,  in  which  illustra- 
tions taken  from  ancient  history  or  of  his  own  com- 
position, seldom,  however,  from  Biblical  History,  were 
interwoven  with  the  catechetical  material,  whereupon  he 
would  accost  the  pupils  with  systematic  questions  (Reu 
I,  l2,  p.  98)  ;  or,  perhaps,  by  Lossius,  who  was  fond  of 
disposing  of  "objectiones" — misgivings  to  be  cleared 
away  by  the  instruction.  However  exemplary  the  zeal 
with  which  the  Catechism,  at  that  time,  was  pounded 
into  the  young  and  the  common  people  and,  likewise, 
the  confidence  put  in  the  divine  truth  as  a  power  for  the 
reconstruction  and  regeneration  of  the  human  heart ; 
and  however  zealously,  albeit  in  steadily  diminishing 
circles,  the  catechetical  material  was  guarded  against 
an  admixture  of  specifically  dogmatical  elements — any- 
thing but  exemplary  was  the  manner  in  which  the  Cate- 
chism was  offered  to  the  children.  If,  notwithstanding, 
a  general  renewal  was  brought  about  and  a  generation 
grew  up  which  could  endure  the  terrors  of  the  Thirty 
Years'  War,  such  results,  instead  of  demonstrating  the 
correctness  of  the  catechetical  method  in  vogue,  should 
rather  be  considered  as  evidence  of  the  blessing  of  God 
accompanying  the  efforts  of  sincere  men,  even  though 
mistaken  in  method.  Moreover,  the  pronouncing  and 
repeating  method  was  much  more  expedient  in  an  age 


554  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

J 

whei    church  membership  was  a  matter  of  course  and 

the  consciousness  of  church  authority  lived  as  a  power 
in  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  a  degree  impossible  to- 
day. 

The  Magdeburg  pastor  and  schoolman  Andrew  Cramer,  liv- 
ing toward  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  and  beginning  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  may  not  be  regarded  as  a  witness  altogether 
unbiased ;  however,  he  is  probably  right  in  regard  to  the  main 
point  when,  in  his  "Anleitung,  wie  die  Jugend  in  Gottesfurcht, 
Kuensten  und  Sprachen  zu  unterweisen",  he  says  regarding 
religious  instruction  as  practiced  in  his  time  :  "The  Catechism 
is  indeed  in  use  in  the  schools,  but  taught  in  a  very  inefficient 
manner.  A  lesson  is  assigned  to  the  boys,  which  they  have  to 
memorize  and  cram  into  their  heads.  While  pronouncing  the 
Catechism  to  the  boys  and  their  repeating  it  is  good  enough  as 
far  as  it  goes,  it  does  not  go  far  enough.  No  explanation  is 
given  in  the  form  of  sermons  adapted  to  children  or  by  means 
of  Bible  passages  and  illustrations,  in  order  to  impart  to  them 
an  adequate  spiritual  understanding  of  the  Catechism.  Nor 
is  any  application  to  life  and  Christian  practise  in  evidence. 
When  the  boys  are  about  to  enter  the  adult  stage,  the  Catechism 
is  treated  in  the  same  manner  by  means  of  a  foreign  tongue  : 
with  glosses  in  a  foreign  tongue  the  explanation  is  made;  but 
all  to  no  purpose,  'memoria  coacta,  sine  intellectu,  sine  praxi', 
Christianity,  therefore,  has  not  been  planted  in  that  fashion !" 
— An  element  of  progress  is  found  in  the  method  of  John  Val- 
entine Andreae  (pp.  137,  140).  He,  too,  insisted  upon  the  text 
of  the  Catechism,  or  of  his  "Evangelische  Kinderlehre  aus  heii- 
ger, goettlicher  Schrift"  (1621),  first  being  committed  to  mem- 
ory. However,  that  done,  he  would  enable  the  pupil,  by  a 
freer  treatment,  frequent  reviews,  clear  generalizations,  sound 
explanations  and  skillful  application,  to  reproduce  the  words 
memorized  intelligently  and  "to  give  a  ready  and  reasonable 
account  of  his  faith".  Cp.  his  "Theophilus"  (edited  by  V.  Fr. 
Oehler.  1878,  pp.  22 — 25  and  pp.  28 — 49).  In  the  same  work  we 
read  (p.  128)  :  "A  good  teacher  leads,  while  a  bad  one  drags ; 
the  one  sheds  light,  the  other  darkness;  the  one  teaches,  the 
other  confuses;  the  one  guides,  the  other  pushes;  the  one  stim- 
ulates,   the   other   depresses;    the   one    scatters    cheer,   the   other 


Tlie  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  555 

fear:  the  one  builds  up,  the  other  tears  down.  In  short,  unless 
the  teacher  himself  be  a  book,  yea,  a  library,  an  itinerant  mu- 
seum; unless  he  himself  be  a  personification  of  the  right  method 
of  handling  and  superintending  the  task;  unless  he  himself  be 
the  embodiment  of  the  genius  and  method  of  all  language  and 
science,  and,  in  addition,  an  ornament  and  a  flower  of  State 
and  Church,  he.  once  for  all.  is  not  according  to  my  taste.  For 
to  take  up  books  and  finish  them  one  time  after  another,  to 
drive  and  to  goad  to  exertion,  to  enforce  injunctions,  rules,  and 
fiats  and  to  hammer  them  in — that  is  something  anybody  can 
do ;  but  to  lay  down  the  main  contents  of  a  lesson,  to  prepare 
the  way  to  an  understanding  of  it,  to  make  the  application,  to 
teach  the  correct  use.  to  go  ahead  with  a  good  example,  and 
finally  to  bring  everything  into  harmony  with  Christ: — that  is 
the  teacher's  true  function,  that  is  a  task  worthy  a  Christian, 
for  which  all  treasures  on  earth  are  not  sufficient  remunera- 
tion". Also  the  Danzig  school  superintendent  and  pastor  John 
Maukisch  made  an  effort  to  improve  the  method.  In  "Gemeine 
Nachricht,  wie  man  die  Jugend  y.n  Hause  und  in  den  Schulen 
den  Katechismus  Lutheri  abfragen  koenne"  (1653)  he  advocated 
the  analytical  method,  which  attained  to  dominating  influence 
in  the  scholastic  sphere  since  the  days  of  Spener. 

But  neither  is  the  analytical  method  (pp.  149,  151, 
154)  recommended  and  adopted  by  Spener  and  Francke, 
afterward  to  be  influenced  by  the  philosophy  of  Wolff, 
a  practicable  way  to  the  true  aim  of  education  and  train- 
ing. Whether  it  be  employed  merely  to  bring  into  the 
light  the  structure  of  Luther's  explanation  by  the  pro- 
cess of  analysis,  according  to  the  practise  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  or  whether,  by  the  use  of  the  question 
and  answer  method,  the  several  sentences  are  made  easi- 
er of  interpretation  through  grammatical  analysis  into 
subject,  predicate,  object,  etc.,  a  remedy  may  indeed  have 
been  found  against  inattention,  but  the  method  remains 
charged  with  inadequacy.  .  In  spite  of  the  .element  of 
•truth  found  in  it.,. it  does  riot. even- succe^din^ rtHVreugffly 
slicing  'the  'intellectual  life  of  the  soul;  let  alone,-  the 


556  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

feelings  and  the  will,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that,  in  other  re- 
spects, Spener  and  Francke  were  very  much  intent  upon 
reaching  the  emotions  and  the  demonstration  of  reli- 
gious knowledge  through  deeds. 

Spener  says  in  his  "Bedenken"  vol.  I,  631  f. :  "Examina- 
tions should  not  consist  merely  of  questions  and  the  rendering 
of  the  answers  found  in  the  Catechism,  but  in  the  analysis  of 
each  question  into  many  other  questions,  which,  in  turn,  should 
be  so  formulated  as  to  possess  explanatory  force,  so  that  the 
young  are  trained  to  reflect  upon  the  subject  and  to  answer 
from  their  own  mind".  In  the  preface  to  his  catechism  (1677) 
he  says  :  "As  to  the  use  of  this  little  work,  the  idea  is  not  to 
expect  a  few  people  merely  to  commit  the  questions  and  answers 
to  memory — a  torture  of  the  memory  which  I  would  rather 
warn  against  than  advise.  It  is  my  opinion  that  writings  such 
as  this  should  be  used  as  an  aid  to  the  intellect  rather  than  as  a 
burden  to  the  memory.  For  this  reason  I  require  that,  by  the 
use  of  these  questions  and  answers,  intelligence  of  the  subject 
is  so  thoroughly  imparted  that  people  can  answer  from  their 
own  mind  in  their  own  words;  this  is  better  than  that  they 
should  commit  to  memory  the  very  finest  formulas.  .  .  It  may 
be  laid  down  as  a  general  principle  among  us  that  the  youth 
entrusted  to  us  should  not  only  understand  the  truths  of  the 
faith  with  which. they  have  become  familiar,  but  also  appreciate 
them  as  a  divinely  established  rule  of  life  and  as  an  incentive 
to  true  godliness.  Occasional  exhortations  between  examina- 
tions for  the  purpose  of  adapting  the  truths  learned  to  life  will 
be  found  expedient.  It  would  also  be  exceedingly  profitable 
for  the  preacher  who  is  occupied  with  this  humble  work  to 
train  the  young  to  go  to  Scripture  itself  for  proof  by  turning 
to  the  Bible,  or  at  least  the  New  Testament, — a  book  which  they 
should  always  have  with  them.  Instruction  ought  to  be  given 
how  to  understand  a  passage  according  to  text  and  context ; 
how  to  analyze  it ;  how  to  determine  its  meaning,  and  how  to 
use  it  in  the  establishment  of  the  truth.  This  is  a  fine  intel- 
lectual exercise  and  discipline;  it  results  not  only  in  such 
knowledge  of  the  Bible  that  any  passage  can  be  readily  found, 
but  also  in  attention  when  the  Bible  is  read  and  an  earnest  desire 
Co  miss  nothing.     The  ultimate  gain  will  be  that  the  people's 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  557 

faith,  which,  after  all,  is  based  not  on  the  Catechism,  but  on 
Scripture,  becomes  well  grounded,  and  that  the  conviction  is 
wrought  in  them  that  their  Catechism  is  really  taken  from  the 
Word  of  God,  upon  which  it  is  founded". — A.  H.  Francke,  in  his 
Rules  for  Schools  of  1702,  says  :  "The.  method  of  catechization 
consists  1.  in  the  recitation;  2.  in  the  explanation,  3.  in  the 
application.  1.  The  teacher  lets  the  children  recite  the  part  which 
he  intends  to  go  through;  2.  he  shows  them  the  true  meaning 
of  every  word  of  the  Catechism,  lest  they  rattle  off  the  cate- 
chetical text  without  making  the  progress  to  be  expected ;  3. 
he  points  out  to  them  how  the  things  taught  and  explained 
should  become  for  them  1.  a  solid  foundation  for  their  faith  and 
2.  a  means  of  testing  and  amending  their  life.  All  this  is  not 
to  be  imparted  by  long-winded  talks  but  by  the  simple  method 
of  questions  and  answers,  inspired  by  great  love,  meekness,  and 
kindness.  However,  the  catechetical  method  of  some  is  beset 
by  faults,  which  should  be  noted  :  1.  there  are  those  who  for- 
mulate the  question  in  such  a  way  as  to  require  an  unvarying- 
yes  or  no;  this  has  the  effect  of  discouraging  the  children  or  so 
habituating  them  to  shouting  yes  and  no  that  they  lose 
attention ;  2.  others  ask  very  few  questions  when  they  cate- 
chize, but  they  lecture  incessantly  and  preach  regular  sermons, 
which  has  a  tendency  to  make  the  children  restless ;  3.  then,  it 
is  found  that  some  catechists  do  not  abide  by  the  subject;  they 
pass  from  one  topic  to  the  other  and  go  roving  everywhere; 
but  the  subject  of  the  catechization  is  but  lightly  touched  or 
altogether  ignored,  whereby  it  is  obscured  rather  than  explain- 
ed :  in  these  circumstances  the  children  do  not  learn  anything 
whatever  with  thoroughness;  4.  the  attempt  is  also  made  to 
arouse  the  flagging  attention  of  the  children  by  the  infliction 
of  bodily  punishment ;  this  does  more  harm  than  good.  .  .  Then, 
a  Bible  passage  should  be  made  clear  through  questions;  for 
instance,  Christ  gave  Himself  for  us.  Who  gave  Himself  for 
us? — For  whom  did  He  give  Himself? — What  did  He  do  for  us? 
— What  did  He  give  for  us? — When  the  children  have  learned  to 
understand  a  passage  in  this  way,  the  catechist  should  induce 
them  to  apply  it;  for  instance,  Who  is  it  that  gave  Himself  for 
us?  Christ. — For  whom  did  He  give  Himself?  For  us.  (For 
me.) — Should  we  not  love  a  Savior  who  gave  Himself  for  us? 
Oh,  yes,  etc. — This  method  of  imparting  something  to  the  chil- 


558  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

dren  through  the  asking  and  answering  of  questions  is  earnestly 
recommended  to  the  teachers,  not  only  because  this  is  the  best 
method  of  explaining  a  subject,  but  also  because  it  tends  to 
quiet  the  unruly  minds  of  the  children  at  a  time  when  there  is 
danger  of  feeling  bored". 

Loeseke,  in  his  "Zergliederte  Katechismus"  (-1758),  treats 
the  whole  Catechism  according  to  the  following  plan  :  "Which 
article  is  this?  The  First  Article.  What  does  the  First  Article 
treat  of?  Of  creation,  Gen.  1,  1.  What  does  it  say?  I  believe 
.  .  .  earth.  Who  believes?  I.  Wnat  is  that  you  do?  I  believe, 
Rom.  1.  17.  In  whom  do  you  believe?  In  God-,  John  1,  9.  What 
do  you  call  this  God?  The  Father,  Eph.  4,  6.  What  kind  of 
maker  do  you  call  this  God?  Almighty.  As  what  is  He  al- 
mighty? As  maker.  Of  what  is  God  the  Maker?  Of  heaven, 
Ps.  33,  6.  Of  what  else?  Of  earth,  Jer.  31,  15.  How  does  Lu- 
ther's explanation  begin?  What  does  that  mean?  What  do 
you  do  when  you  hear  all  that  is  said  in  the  First  Article?  I 
believe,  2  Tim.  1,  12.  What  do  you  believe  in  regard  to  your 
own  creation  particularly?  That  God  has  made  me,  Eph.  4, 
24.  (Who  has  made  you?  Whom  has  God  made0  What  has 
God  done  for  you?)  Together  with  what  has  God  made  you? 
Together  with  all  creatures.  Together  with  how  many  creatures? 
With  all.  To  whom  has  God  given  many  blessings  and  goods 
through  creation?  To  me.  WThat,  for  instance,  has  God  given 
you  at  your  creation?     My  body.     What  else?     The  soul.   Gen. 

2,  7.  etc. — Rambach's  manner,  indeed,  is  not  quite  so  dull :  for 
quite  a  number  of  valuable  hints  as  to  method  are  given  in  his 
booklet:  "Der  wohlunterrichtete  Katechet"  (1722);  but  he  does 
not  pass  beyond  the  restrictions  of  the  analytical  method. 
Only  in  his  posthumous  work:  "Wohl  unterwiesener  Informa- 
tor" (1737).  noteworthy  beginnings  of  the  developing  method 
are  found,  especially  on  pp.  140  ff.  Here  he  clearly  expresses 
it  as  his  opinion  that  Luther's  Catechism  cannot  be  successfully 
treated  with  the  children  until  there  has  been  imparted  to  them 
1.  some  simple  preliminary  instruction  concerning  God  and  di- 
vine   things,    2.  a    brief    outline    of    the    plan    of    salvation,    and 

3.  an-  outline  of  Biblical  History  (p.  140— 147).  Moreover,  he 
Clearly  recognized: "that" the  will  rjf  the- children  required  "amend- 
ment""""a"> "  well.  "Most'  'informatores''";-  he-'  says,  "who  'them- 
selves  lack   in  formation,"  make-  a-  mistake  "in  thi's   matter,   and 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  559 

fancy  that  they  have  done  iheir  duty,  and  more  than  their  duty, 
when  they  have  imparted  to  the  child  the  Catechism  and  a  few 
passages,  and  when  they  have  taught  it  reading  and  writing;  but 
the  state  of  the  child's  will  appears  to  concern  them  precious 
little.  It  is  all  the  same  to  them  when  they  grow  up  savage  and 
uncouth,  their  life  a  field  for  Satan's  work.  In  that  manner 
the  children  are  made  angels  intellectually,  but  devils  according 
to  the  state  of  their  will,  the  aim  being  not  godliness,  but 
knowledge".  What  he  thereupon  says  as  to  the  method  em- 
ployed in  amending  the  will  (pp.  162 — 235)  is  well  worthy  atten- 
tion, although  we  cannot  enter  upon  it  here,  since  no  organic 
connection  has  been  established  between  the  views  expressed 
and  instruction  in  Catechism  as  a  means  to  carry  them  out. 

A  great  step  of  progress  was  represented  by  the 
Socratic  method  of  the  period  of  rationalism.  For  the 
first  time  now,  there  appeared  a  real  didactic  conversa- 
tion between  the  teacher  and  the  pupil,  a  real  develop- 
ment of  the  unknown  from  the  known  (pp.  156 — 158), 
— a  method  by  which  the  intellectual  life  was  really  put 
in  motion,  at  least  by  the  more  eminent  representatives 
of  this  method,  especially  by  Dinter.  However,  the  cate- 
chization  was  too  exclusively  an  intellectual  operation, 
the  feelings  remaining  cold  and  the  will  unstirred,  quite 
aside  from  the  substance  of  instruction,  which  did  not 
transcend  natural  religion  at  many  points.  H.  Chr. 
Schwarz:  "The  insistence  upon  knowledge  was  quite  in 
place ;  but  the  one-sided  way  of  stressing  this  principle 
led  to  the  error  that  ignorance  was  worse  than  wicked- 
ness. The  heart  remaining  empty,  such  catechizing  was 
in  the  long  run  no  better  than  the  mechanical  memoriz- 
ing previously  in  vogue''.  CI.  Harms:  "Question  fol- 
lows question  licketysplit ;  there  is  discussing,  develop- 
ing, explaining ;  example  and  illustration  are  brought 
in ;  punctuation  is  drawn  upon  for  light,  and  assumption 
must  do  its  share,  and  whatever  else  is  required  by  cate- 


560  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

chetics  is  there,  with  all  of  which,  if  all  goes  well,  logical 
efficiency  is  attained  and  the  joy:  Now  I  have  caught  it. 
But  the  adult  who  already  knows  those  things  but  craves 
a  little  religious  inspiration,  cannot  stand  it.  To  ask 
question  after  question  and  to  call  for  an  answer  is  not 
instructing  the  children.  In  addition  to  questions  that 
address  themselves  to  the  intellect,  such  are  to  be  put 
which,  like  nails  and  spears,  make  for  the  feelings — 
the  heart.  .  .  Nor  should  we  be  content  with  questions 
as  means  to  make  our  way  to  the  heart.  Talks,  admo- 
nitions, entreaties,  stories,  reading  by  the  teacher,  read- 
ing by  the  pupils,  prayer  and  such  things  are  the  instru- 
ments through  which  the  Kingdom  is  taken  by  force". 
Here  is  an  example  from  Dinter's  "Unterredungen  ueber  die 
fuenf  Hauptstuecke  des  Katechismus",  1806  ff. :  Teacher:  The 
garden  back  there  of  your  house,  has  it  come  into  being  of  itself? 
Child:  No,  my  grandfather  planted  it.  T.  Who,  accordingly, 
was  there  first:  the  garden  or  the  grandfather  who  planted  it? 
Grandfather  was  there  first. — Why  did  that  have  to  be  the  case? 
Otherwise  he  would  have  been  unable  to  plant  it. — That  which 
is  produced,  or  brought  about  by  someone,  what  do  we  call  it? 
The  effect. — And  that  through  the  power  of  which  an  effect  is 
produced,  what  do  we  call  it?  The  cause. — When  you  think 
of  your  grandfather  and  the  garden  in  this  connection,  can  you 
use  these  words?  Yes,  my  grandfather  was  the  cause,  and  the 
garden  was  the  effect. — Do  you  think  that  the  same  is  the  case 
elsewhere?  Yes. — Think  of  the  watch  and  the  watchmaker. 
The  watchmaker  was  there  first.  Think  of  a  similar  example ! 
The  cabinetmaker  was  there  before  the  table. — Now  think  of  a 
case  where  the  effect  was  there  before  the  cause !  That  is  im- 
possible :  if  the  cause  is  not  there  first,  it  cannot  make  it  at 
all. — It  would  be  better  to  say:  it  cannot  bring  about  an  effect: 
now  can  you  state  this  in  general  terms?  The  cause  always 
comes  before  the  effect. — Now  let  us  apply  this  to  God  and  the 
world !  God  is  the  cause,  and  the  world  is  the  effect. — What  fol- 
lows from  this? — God  must  have  been  there  first,  or  he  could 
not  have  made  the  world. — As   soon  as  I  think  of  a  maker  of 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  561 

the  world,  it  becomes  clear  that  there  must  have  been  a  time 
when  the  world  began  to  be.  Before  it  was  there,  there  was 
nothing  but  God:  God  made  the  world;  by  whom,  now,  was  God 
made?  By  nobody;  nobody  was  there  but  God. — Well,  if  He 
was  made  by  nobody,  He  must  have  come  into  being  of  Himself! 
That  is  out  of  the  question;  for  nothing  can  come  forth  out  of 
nothing. — But  is  that  quite  sure?  What  is  meant  by  saying, 
You  have  reason?  That  I  can  see  the  connection  between  cause 
and  effect. — Suppose,  now,  someone  would  fancy  an  effect  with- 
out a  cause,  what  would  you  call  him?  Unreasonable. — But 
coming  into  being  is  surely  an  effect.  Therefore  there  must 
be  a  cause  for  it. — If  someone,  accordingly,  should  say:  ''Some- 
thing comes  into  being  of-  itself",  what  would  you  say  of  him? 
He  speaks  unreasonably;  where  there  is- an  effect,  there  must 
be  a  cause;  nothing,  therefore,  can  come  into  being  of  itself. — 
And  God?  Neither  can  God  have  come  into  being  of  Him- 
self.— Now  let  us  put  all  this  together :  God  was  there  before 
the  world;  nobody  can  have  made  Him;  nor  can  He  have  come 
into  being  of  Himself;  but  one  possibility  remains;  which  might 
that  be?  He  cannot  have  come  into  being  at  all;  the  world 
came  into  being;  that  is  put  also  in  this  way:  it  had  a  beginning; 
as  to  God,  He  never  came  into  being. — How  can  that  be  best 
expressed?  He  has  no  beginning;  He  has  no  end. — Good  that 
you  remember  this  from  the  lower  grade;  but  there  you  had 
to  learn  many  things  without  knowing  the  reasons  why  we 
should  believe  that  it  is  so ;  now  your  attention  is  to  be  called 
to  the  reasons,  too. 

That  tree,  there,  what  do  you  believe  concerning  it?  Will 
it  be  there  forever?  No,  some  time  it  shall  be  cut  down. — Why 
do  you  believe  that?  Because  the  people  need  wood,  if  they 
are  not  to  freeze. — Now,  when  someone  cuts  it  down,  does  the 
cause  of  its  destruction  come  from  the  outside  or  from  itself? 
It  comes  from  the  outside. — Suppose  that  nobody  should  cut  it 
down,  will  it  always  stand  there,  and  will  it  never  be  destroyed? 
Sometime  it  would  decay  and  cease  to  be. — In  that  case,  would 
the  cause  of  destruction  come  from  without?  No,  it  would 
come  from  within. — This  is  the  case  with  the  tree;  this  is  the 
case  with  everv  other  thing;  when  it  is  destroyed,  only  one  of 
two  things  is  possible;  where  may  the  cause  of  destruction  be 
found?     The  ground  of  destruction  is  either  without  or  within 


562  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  thing  destroyed. — No  third  possibility  can  be  fancied ;  let 
us  apply  this  to  God,  and  ask  the  question  whether  God  can  ever 
take  an  end.  If  God  were  to  have  an  end,  one  of  two  events 
would  have  to  take  place.  Which  ?  The  ground  of  God  taking 
an  end  would  have  to  be  within  Him  or  without  Him. — We 
will  speak  in  connection  with  God  not  of  destruction,  but  of 
extermination.  Why?  That  shall  be  explained  in  one  of  the 
following  conversations ;  if,  now,  of  two  things  the  one  de- 
stroys the  other,  which  of  the  two  is  bound  to  be  the  stronger? 
The  one  that  does  the  destroying  is  bound  to  be  stronger  than 
that  which  is  destroyed. — Now,  suppose  that  God,  the  living  God, 
God  the  Creator,  should  be  destroyed  by  someone,  what  would 
have  to  be  the  case?  The  other  would  have  to  be  stronger 
than  God. — But  is  that  a  possibility?  No,  nobody  is  stronger 
than  God;  for  God  is  almighty. — What,  accordingly,  is  no 
living  being,  no  power  of  nature,  able  to  do?  To  exterminate 
God. — The  cause  of  an  extermination  of  God,  therefore,  can- 
not come  from  without;  but  we  assumed  a  second  possibility: 
could  the  cause  of  destruction  lie  within  God  as  it  does  within 
the  oak?  No,  that,  too,  is  impossible. — Why?  Suppose  that 
yonder  oak  tree  had  a- duration  of  life  of  five  hundred  years; 
could  it,  in  that  case,  have  been  there  eight  hundred  years  ago? 
No,  it  would  have  decayed  a  long  time  ago. — How  many  years 
ago?  Three  hundred  years  ago. — Or  could  it  be  possible  that  it 
had  no  beginning  at  all;  that  it  was  there  from  the  beginning? 
In  that  case  it  would  have  decayed  even  sooner. — This  much, 
then,  must  be  clear  to  you  :  a  thing  that  bears  in  itself  the  cause 
of  destruction,  cannot  have  been  there  from  the  beginning; 
why?  It  would  have  been  destroyed  long  ago. — Hence,  if  any- 
thing has  no  beginning,  what  are  you  sure  of  in  regard  to  it? 
What  can  it  not  bear  within  itself?  The  ground  of  destruc- 
tion.— Apply  this  to  God!  God  has  no  beginning;  for  that  rea- 
son He  cannot  bear  the  ground  of  extermination  within  Him- 
self.— There  is  no  ground  of  extermination  within  Him  or  with- 
out Him.  What  do  you  conclude  from  that?  That  no  ground 
whatever  of  His  extermination  exists. — Therefore,  just  as  surely 
as  God  has  no  beginning,  He  has  .  .  .  can  you  continue?  He 
has  no  end. — What  is  it  now  that  you  have  said  of  God?  He 
has  neither  beginning  nor  end. — Do  you  know  what  He  is  called 
for  that   reason?     He  is   called   eternal. — Right;    sometimes   we 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  563 

call  Him  something  else;  whatever  comes  to  an  end,  we  call 
what?  Finite. — Him  who  never  takes  an  end,  we  call  what? 
Infinite. 

Let  us  once  more  survey  the  path  which  our  conversation 
has  taken!  What  did  we  first  say  of  cause  and  effect?  The 
cause  is  there  always  first,  before  the  effect;  God  is  the  cause 
of  the  world ;  hence  God  must  have  been  there  before  the  world. 
—Very  well ;  but  that  does  not  say  that  He  was  there  from 
eternity;  someone  may  have  produced  Him.  No;  for  no  one  was 
there  but  Himself. — How  did  we  argue  further?  He  cannot  have 
come  into  being  of  Himself;  for  nothing  comes  into  being  of  it- 
self.— Now,  then,  if  He  has  not  been  produced  by  anyone  else 
nor  come  into  being  of  Himself,  what  must  we  conclude?  He 
did  not  come  into  being  at  all;  He  had  no  beginning. — But 
whence  do  we  know  for  certain  that  He  has  no  end?  If  any- 
thing is  to  come  to  an  end,  the  cause  must  be  found  within  or 
without  it. — Which  of  the  two,  now,  may  be  the  case  with 
God?  Another  cannot  exterminate  God  because  God  is  al- 
mighty; nor  can  a  ground  of  extermination  be  found  in  God; 
for  He  has  no  beginning. — From  all  this  follows  the  divine 
attribute  about  which  we  mean  to  converse  today;  which? 
God  is  eternal. — That  means?  He  has  neither  a  beginning 
nor  an  end. 

In  the  period  of  a  more  general  return  to  the  faith 
of  the  Reformation  many  catechists  made  the  regrettable 
mistake  of  resuscitating  the  old  method.  In  contrast 
to  the  Socratic  method  of  the  rationalistic  period,  they 
would  simply  impart  the  catechetical  theses  to  the  chil- 
dren by  the  force  of  authority,  draw  them  out  again 
by  means  of  questions,  demand  the  proof  for  them  in 
the  form  of  an  occasional  Scripture  passage,  and,  pos- 
sibly, shed  light  upon  it  or  insure  its  retention  by  the 
memory  by  a  story  from  life.  When  they  would 
really  employ  examples  from  Biblical  History,  they 
idid  not  utilize  them  fully;  least  of  alb  did  they  use 
them  as  sources  of  deduction,  from  which  the  truth's  of 
the  Catechism' were  to  be' derived.     For  instance,' when 


564  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

a  definition  of  faith  had  been  given  and  proved  as  cor- 
rect by  several  passages  from  Scripture,  it  was  added : 
Thus  Abraham,  David,  the  centurion  of  Capernaum,  the 
king's  officer,  the  jailer  of  Philippi,  and  others,  believed. 
That  such  proceeding  was  worthless,  is  evident.  Others 
recognized  the  indefeasible  element  of  truth  in  the  So- 
cratic  method ;  they  saw  that  it  does  not  suffice  merely 
to  impart  and  draw  forth  again  by  questions ;  to  ana- 
lyze, and,  perhaps  afterward,  to  demonstrate  and  illus- 
trate— a  process  during  the  whole  of  which  the  attitude 
of  the  children  is  purely  receptive,  but  that,  through  the 
didactic  conversation,  there  must  take  place  a  real  devel- 
oping, and  thereby  a  training  of  the  child  for  self-acti- 
vity (so  Harnisch  especially).  But  which  was  to  be 
the  starting-point  for  such  developing  process?  En- 
tertaining the  perfectly  correct  view  that  instruction  in 
the  Catechism  has  accomplished  a  great  deal  when  by 
means  of  it  an  understanding  of  the  words  of  the  Cate- 
chism has  been  imparted  to  the  children,  some  would 
proceed  from  the  linguistic  usage  in  which  the  concepts 
of  the  Catechism  had  found  expression  in  the  language 
of  the  Bible  and  the  vernacular  in  general  (Brieger  par- 
ticularly). Others,  of  the  opinion  that  only  in  that  way 
the  "formal  principle"  of  the  Reformation  could  come 
into  its  own,  would  make  the  Bible  passage  their  start- 
ing-point, endeavoring  to  develop  from  that  the  particu- 
lar Catechism  truth  to  be  taught;  Materne,  1853,  and, 
even  more,  Crueger,  1860,  represented  this  method.  The 
latter  says  plainly :  "The  bringing  in  of  Scripture  pas- 
sages as  proof  material,  after  the  sentence  of  the  Cate- 
chism has  been  discussed,  presupposes  doubt  in  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  doctrine,  and  for  the  reason  that  the 
passages,  for  lack  of  time,  are  afterward  not  carefully 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  565 

explained,  it  confirms  such  doubt".  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  by  that  kind  of  development  (especially  the  type 
recommended  by  Crueger,  see  example  below)  little 
was  accomplished  for  the  intellectual  life  of  the  pupil, 
and  nothing  at  all  for  the  feelings  and  the  will,  let  alone 
for  practical  life.  Everything  was  abstract  rather  than 
concrete,  intellectual  rather  than  intuitional ;  the  ex- 
planation was  not  gained  from  the  concept  sphere  of  the 
child.  Such  a  method  did  not  only  leave  the  heart  of 
the  child  cold ;  it  might  even  bring  about  the  notion  that 
the  Bible  is  merely  a  code  of  doctrines  requiring  noth- 
ing but  submission.  Thereby,  however,  joy  in  Scrip- 
ture is  rather  choked  than  fed ;  and  yet,  to  arouse  and 
nourish  it,  is  one  of  the  very  objects  of  instruction. 

Something  decidedly  better  was  achieved  by  G.  v. 
Zezschwitz  and  all  those  who,  more  or  less  independent- 
ly, followed  the  path  blazed  by  him  both  in  theory  and 
practise.  At  heart  in  agreement  with  the  truth  of  Scrip- 
ture, he  traced  his  steps  back  to  Dinter  in  regard  to 
form.  Repudiating  every  catechetical  method  but  the 
developing  one,  he  laid  all  possible  stress  upon  the  elab- 
oration of  clear  conceptions  and  precise  definitions.  He 
became  the  father  of  the  positive  scientific  catechiza- 
tion  ("Kunstkatechese"),  which,  by  a  series  of  severely 
logical  questions,  forced  the  pupil  to  reach  a  series  of 
conclusions  along  a  gradual  ascent  of  logical  develop- 
ment, and,  by  way  of  summing  up  these  conclusions,  the 
final  theme — the  exact  and  precise  determination  of  the 
particular  catechetical  truth  to  be  ascertained  (cp. 
Zezschwitz's  Model  Catechization  on  the  Ninth  and  the 
Tenth  Commandments,  Katechetik  II,  2,  p.  562  ff.  and 
his  "Christenlehre",  three  vols,  21883— 1888).  It  cannot 
be  denied  that  the  co-operation  of  the  children  was  se- 


566  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

cured  in  this  way  to  a  rare  degree,  and  that  their  men- 
tal powers  were  subjected  to  an  extraordinary  discipline; 
likewise,  that  accurate  religious  knowledge  as  one  of  its 
results  was  a  foregone  conclusion.  At  the  same  time 
it  is  true  that,  in  point  of  contents,  there  was  a  deplor- 
able overloading  by  the  introduction  of  material  not 
rooted  in  the  Catechism  but  dragged  in  from  biblical 
theology  and  dogmatics ;  that  an  undue  amount  of  at- 
tention was  given  to  the  formation  of  conceptions ;  that 
through  failure  to  accord  all-sided  recognition  to  the 
intuitional  principle  only  little  influence  was  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  emotional  and  volitional  life ;  that  too 
much  was  expected  from  the  average  child,  and  that 
insufficient  scope  was  given  to  pupils  to  give  unrestrain- 
ed expression  of  their  own  thoughts. 

In  his  "Versuch  einer  biblisch-sachlichen  und  sprachlichen 
Erklaerung  des  Kleinen  Katechismus"  (31853),  C.  F.  Brieger 
suggests  a  proceeding  something  like  this  :  Suppose  the  term 
to  be  explained  is  "redemption".  The  root-word  is  "emo" — 
to  purchase.  Inasmuch  as  the  purchase  of  a  human  being  pos- 
tulates a  condition  of  slavery,  redemption,  means  that  one  who 
had  been  a  captive  or  a  slave  has  been  purchased  for  the  pur- 
pose of  restoring  him  to  liberty,  the  prefix  "re"  designating  a 
return  to  the  condition  preceding  the  state  of  captivity.  That 
which  requires  redemption  is.  as  it  were,  in  a  state  of  slavery, 
precluding  freedom  of  movement.  With  this  linguistic  concep- 
tion agrees  Holy  Scripture;  for  whenever  it  speaks  of  any- 
thing from  which  redemption  is  required,  it  is  something  which 
cramps  and  imprisons,  such  as  enemies,  distress,  sin  (Ps.  18,  4; 
102,  2;  130,  8).  "By  the  use  of  such  a  method,"  Brieger  thinks, 
"the  conception  is  built  up,  as  it  were,  before  the  very  eyes  of 
the  pupil,  and  impressed  so  much  more  thoroughly  upon  his 
soul  because  -of  the  part  taken  by  itself  in  the  erection  of  the 
structure,"— Crueger,  in  his  "Entwurf  einer  entwickelnden  Kate- 
-vhismusle%hre"J.(186Q;  11th  ed.,  4889), .offers  -the  following  ex- 
planation of .  the.  passage  .in  the  Introduction  to  the.  Lord's 
Prayer  "with  all  cheerfulness  and  confidence" ;"  ""According  to 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  567 

the  words  of  Luther's  explanation,  the  dear  children  ask  their 
dear  Father  with  all  cheerfulness  and  confidence.  We  are 
reminded  of  the  passage  Rom.  8,  15 :  "Ye  received  not  the 
spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear  .  .  .  Abba,  father"  (8th  Trim). 
We  Christians  have  received  a  child-like  mind;  by  this  we  are 
prompted  to  pray :  Dear  Father !  We  have  not  received  the 
mind  of  a  servant,  a  slave;  a  slave  fears  that  some  evil  will 
be  inflicted  upon  him  by  his  master.  When  a  slave  asks  any- 
thing of  his  master,  he  is  afraid  that  some  harm  may  be  in- 
flicted upon  him  on  account  of  his  petition.  He  who  fears  that 
harm  will  befall  him  on  account  of  his  petition,  does  not  pray 
cheerfully.  We  pray  cheerfully  when  we  are  not  fearful  of 
harm  as  a  result  of  our  petition.  The  dear  children  pray  not 
only  with  cheerfulness,  but  also  with  all  confidence  (1  John  5, 
14 :  "This  is  the  confidence  that  we  have  in  Him, 
that,  if  we  ask  anything  according  to  His  will,  He  heareth  us"). 
We  have  the  cheerful  confidence,  the  joyful  faith,  that  God  will 
hear  our  prayer.  We  pray  to  God  with  the  cheerful  confidence 
that  our  prayers  will  be  heard.  This  cheerful  faith  is  the  right 
kind  of  confidence  when  we  pray.  We  pray,  accordingly,  with 
all  confidence  when  we  pray  with  the  joyful  faith  that  our 
prayers  are  heard.  Faith  in  the  love  of  the  heavenly  Father 
moves  us  so  to  pray". 

When  L.  Kraussold  proceeded  to  the  revision  of  Dinter's 
book:  "Die  vorzueglichsten  Regeln  der  Katechetik"  (1801),  only 
to  publish,  instead  of  the  contemplated  revision,  his  own  book 
on  Catechetics  from  the  orthodox  standpoint  (1843),  he  be- 
came the  forerunner  of  the  positive  scientific  catechization. 
E.  g.,  the  thesis  :  "The  Grace  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ,  is  the 
Christian's  Solace  in  the  Hour  of  Death"  he  develops  in  the 
following  manner:  "What  does  sin  merit?  Punishment.  What 
punishment  has  God  decreed  for  sin?  Damnation.  What 
is  the  sensation  of  the  person  who  looks  for  punishment? 
Anxiety.  What,  therefore,  is  the  sinner  bound  to  feel  when 
he  thinks  of  his  sin  and  punishment?  Great  anxiety.  Where- 
by could  such  anxiety  be  taken  from  him?  (Whence  anxiety? 
When  may  a  man  cease  from  anxiety?  When,  accordingly, 
will  anxiety  have  passed  away?  When  will  anxiety  disappear? 
Whereby,  accordingly,  can  he  be  relieved  of  anxiety?)  By  sin 
being  taken  from  him.     What  does  sin  merit?     The  penalty  of 


568  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

damnation.  What  passes  away  with  sin  at  once?  Punishment. 
Who  punishes?  God.  Who  alone,  accordingly,  is  able  to 
remit  the  punishment?  God.  When  God  remits  the  penalty 
of  sin,  what  is  that  called?  To  forgive  sin.  Whereby,  accord- 
ingly, is  anxiety  removed?  By  the  forgiveness  of  sin.  When 
one  is  relieved  of  anxiety,  we  call  that  giving  comfort.  What, 
therefore,  is  it  that  the  sinner  seeks  when  he  seeks  the  forgive- 
ness of  sin?  Comfort.  What,  in  consequence,  is  the  sinner's 
comfort?  The  forgiveness  of  sin.  Has  the  sinner  deserved  it? 
No.  What  is  it  called  for  that  reason?  Grace.  Who  has 
secured  for  him  such  grace?  Jesus  Christ.  In  whom,  therefore, 
does  the  sinner  find  the  grace  of  God?  In  Christ  Jesus.  What, 
therefore,  is  the  Christian's  comfort  in  his  sin?  The  grace  of 
God  in  Jesus  Christ.  When  does  the  Christian  stand  in  need 
of  such  grace?  Always.  Why?  Because  he  is  always  a  sinner. 
What  must  he  do  to  secure  grace  from  God?  He  must  ask 
God.  But  how  long  may  he  ask  God  for  it?  As  long  as  he  lives. 
No  longer  after  death?  No.  What  is  it  that  causes  him  tor- 
ment if  he  has  not  secured  grace  before  death?  Damnation. 
When,  therefore,  is  he  nearest  to  damnation  on  earth?  At 
death.  When  is  anxiety  bound  to  be  the  greater,  when  pun- 
ishment is  near  or  distant?  When  it  is  near.  When,  therefore, 
is  the  sinner's  anxiety  bound  to  be  greatest?  At  death.  When, 
accordingly,  does  he  stand  in  need  of  comfort  most?  In  the 
hour  of  death.  What,  therefore,  is  the  Christian's  comfort  in  the 
hour  of  death  ?     The  grace  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ". 

With  this  model  of  a  scientific  catechization  before  us. 
we  appreciate  the  views  expressed  by  Schmarje.  Though  him- 
self not  averse  to  catechizing  in  this  manner,  he  is  more  mode- 
rate than  Zezschwitz.  While  emphasizing  the  developing  ques- 
tion, he  repudiates  the  "zwingende"  question  of  the  typical 
scientific  catechization — those  severely  logical  questions  where- 
by the  pupil  is  forced  along  by  the  teacher  towards  the  pre- 
determined path  of  the  latter's  reasoning,  nor  is  he  a  zealous 
advocate  of  the  "final  theme"  as  the  ultimate  goal  of  every 
catechization.  Says  he  (Das  katechetische  Lehrverfahren  auf 
psychologischer  Grundlage,  sec.  ed.,  1892,  p.  18)  in  regard  to 
the  scientific  catechization :  "The  immediate  impression  of 
such  a  conversation  is  that  the  pupil  can  be  conceived  only 
as  being  helplessly  drawn  toward  the  goal  with  invisible  tongs. 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  569 

He  trots  behind  the  teacher;  but  he  does  not  know  why  he 
follows  him,  nor  whither  he  follows.  The  logical  consistency 
of  the  questions  presents  no  gap  for  a  detour  to  the  right  or  to 
the  left  which  might  lead  astray;  but  neither  does  it  present  an 
opening  through  which  a  glimpse  might  be  obtained  of  the 
inner  life  of  the  child".  Upon  the  thesis :  "We  should  fear 
God",  he  himself  offers  the  following  model  of  a  catechization 
conducted  by  him  in  Altona  with  boys  ranging  from  eleven 
to  twelve  years  and  taken  down  stenographically :  "Teacher : 
You  know  that  Luther  began  the  explanation  of  every  Com- 
mandment, with  the  sole  exception  of  the  First,  with  the  words  : 
We  should  fear  and  love  God,  etc.  .  .  Why  does  he  do  that? 
Pupil :  We  shall  keep  the  commandments  of  God  when  we 
fear  and  love  Him. — Teacher:  Today  we  want  to  explain  what 
it  means :  We  should  fear  God.  Which  of  the  two  expres- 
sions will  it  be  necessary  for  us  to  explain  first  if  we  want  to 
understand  what  is  meant  by  this  demand?  Pupil:  We  should 
know  what  it  means  to  fear.  Teacher :  Name  persons  from 
Biblical  History  who  showed  fear.  Pupil  A. :  Moses  had  fear 
of  God  when  he  appeared  to  him  in  the  fiery  bush.  Pupil  B. : 
Paul  had  fear,  when,  on  the  way  to  Damascus,  he  suddenly 
heard  the  words:  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  Me?  Pupil  C. : 
Adam  and  Eve  had  fear  when  they  had  eaten  of  the  forbidden 
fruit.  Pupil  D. :  The  shepherds  in  the  field,  when  the  angels 
appeared  to  them.  Pupil  E. :  Mary  had  feai  when  she  wanted 
to  see  the  grave  of  the  Lord  and  saw  the  angel  sitting  before 
it.  Pupil  F. :  The  Israelites  had  fear  when  Pharaoh  pursued 
them. — Name  also  some  examples  from  secular  history.  Pupil 
A. :  Desiderius  had  fear  when  he  heard  that  Charlemagne 
moved  upon  him  with  a  large  army.  Pupil  B. :  The  Romans 
had  fear  when  Hannibal  had  defeated  them. — Can  you  name 
also  some  examples  from  poetry?  .  .  .  Think,  as  a  case  in 
point  of  "The  Ring  of  Polycrates".  Amasis  feared  the  envy 
of  the  gods. — There  we  have  quite  a  number  of  examples  of 
fear.  Now  tell  me :  Why  did  the  Israelites  have  fear  when 
they  stood  on  the  Red  Sea?  They  had  fear  because  Pharaoh 
was  behind  them;  he  wanted  to  take  them  back. — Why  did 
Adam  have  fear?  He  was  afraid  of  punishment. — Why  did 
Jacob  have  fear  when  he  returned  from  Laban  and  was  about 
to  meet  his  brother  Esau?     He  thought  that  Esau  had  evil  in- 


570  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

tentions  and  would  take  vengeance. — What  is  it  we  want  to 
know  when  we  ask  "why"?  We  want  to  know  the  ground. — 
In  how  many  cases  may  we  inquire  about  the  ground  of  fear? 
In  every  case. — Why?  There  is  always  some  ground  for  fear. — 
You  named  a  short  time  ago  a  good  many  examples  of  fear. 
Compare  the  causes  of  fear  with  each  other !  They  agree  with 
each  other. — Why?  When  anyone  has  fear,  he  is  afraid  of 
somebody's  anger. — Is  that  your  opinion?  Have  you  ever  had 
fear?  Yes. — Of  what,  for  instance?  Of  a  thunderstorm. — 
What  did  you  think  when  the  dark  clouds  massed  themselves 
upon  the  sky  and  the  lightnings  began  to  leap?  I  thought  that 
the  lightning  might  strike. — Do  you  mean  to  speak  of  the  wrath 
of  a  thunderstorm?  No. — You  see,  therefore,  that  your  answer 
was  not  correct.  Now  compare  all  the  grounds  of  fear  with  each 
other.  No  answer. — Well.,  what  was  Adam  afraid  of?  Of 
punishment. — Jacob?  Of  the  vengeance  of  Esau. — Of  what  is 
the  child  afraid  when  the  thunder  is  muttering?  Of  the  light- 
ning-stroke.— Now,  if  Adam  is  afraid  of  punishment,  Jacob 
of  the  wrath  of  his  brother,  and  the  child  of  the  lightning,  you 
surely  must  be  able  to  express  an  opinion  when  you  compare 
these  several  grounds  of  fear.  They  are  different. — That  is 
correct.  And  yet  you  contended  at  first  that  all  the  causes  of 
fear  were  alike.  Can  you  not  give  the  reason  for  your  asser- 
tion? Yes,  when  one  has  fear,  he  thinks  of  God. — Pupil  B. : 
No,  he  always  thinks  of  that  which  he  fears. — What  does  he 
expect  of  the  persons  or  things  that  he  is  afraid  of?  He  ex- 
pects that  they  will  do  him  harm. — What,  therefore,  is  it  that 
one  thinks  of  when  he  is  fearful?  The  person  who  has  fear 
always  thinks  of  harm  coming  to  him. — That  is  very  true.  But 
tell  me  in  other  words  that  the  grounds  for  fear,  though  out- 
wardly different,  are  alike  inwardly.  Pupil  J. :  When  anyone 
has  fear,  he  always  thinks  of  coming  harm.  Pupil  K. :  He  al- 
ways thinks  of  an  approaching  danger. — What,  accordingly, 
is  the  reason  for  fear?  The  reason  for  fear  is  the  thought  of 
some  unavoidable  danger  or  a  threatening  disaster. — Good.  Ex- 
press the  same  thought  also  in  this  form :  "We  have  fear  when 
we,  etc.".  We  have  fear  when  we  think  of  an  unavoidable  dan- 
ger or  threatening  disaster. — Now  we  know  the  reason  for 
fear,  and  we  want  to  remember  it  (Which  is  done  by  writing  a 
note  on  the  blackboard). 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  571 

Let  us  now  go  a  step  farther.  You  said  some  time  ago 
that,  on  a  cerrain  occasion,  you  had  fear  of  a  thunderstorm. 
How  did  you  know  that  you  had  fear?  A  sensation  told  me. — 
You  (turning  to  another  pupil),  have  you,  too,  ever  had  fear? 
How  did  you  know  it?  I  felt  it. — What,  accordingly,  is  fear? 
Fear  is  a  sensation. — Of  what  kind  is  the  sensation  of  fear? 
Fear  is  a  disagreeable  sensation. — Who  can  express  the  sensa- 
tion of  fear  in  a  different  way?  Pupil  B.  :  Fear  is  a  sensation 
of  dread. — Pupil  F. :  A  sensation  that  agitates  you.  That 
is  still  better.  It  may  happen  that,  when  fear  is  felt,  we  do  not 
dare  to  speak;  yea.  that  we  have  difficulty  in  drawing  breath. 
Fear  is  a  depressing,  crushing  sensation. — The  answers  are  all 
correct.  However,  we  want  to  keep  in  mind  for  the  present  only 
the  last  definition.  Answer,  accordingly,  the  question  fully : 
What  is  fear?  at  the  same  time  telling  us  how  it  arises.  Fear 
is  a  crushing  sensation,  arising  from  the  thought  of  some  un- 
avoidable danger  or  threatening  disaster. — This  sentence,  too,  we 
want  to  remember.  (A  brief  recapitulation  follows,  and  a  note 
is  written  on  the  blackboard.) 

Name  sensations  akin  to  fear !  Pupil :  Anxiety  and  care. 
— What  do  you  call  the  sensation  that  comes  over  you  when 
all  of  a  sudden  some  danger  comes  upon  us?  Fright. — What 
sensation  shall  we  feel  when  the  danger  coming  upon  us  is  not 
only  sudden  but  at  the  same  time  great  and  overwhelming? 
Terror. — Summarize  what  we  have  found  to  be  sensations  akin 
to  fear.  Sensations  akin  to  fear  are  :  Anxiety,  care,  fright,  ter- 
ror, and  expectation.  You  have  named  expectation  as  a  sen- 
sation akin  to  fear.  When,  on  Christmas  eve,  the  pine-tree 
has  been  decorated  by  father  and  mother,  while  you  stand  in 
an  adjoining  room  full  of  expectation,  do  you  really  think  that 
you  have  a  sensation  akin  to  fear?  No. — Your  answer,  there- 
fore, was  not  quite  correct.  We  now  know  what  is  meant 
by  fear  or  what  we  mean  when  we  say  :  We  fear.  What,  how- 
ever, did  we  designate  as  the  subject  for  today?  We  are  to 
learn  what  is  meant  when  we  say :  We  should  fear  God. — 
Give  another  expression :  We  should  fear  God.  We  should 
have  fear  of  God. — Have  fear  of  God  !  What  is  God's  relation 
to  our  fear?  No  answer. — You  know  what  I  mean  when  I  say: 
Jacob  had  fear  of  Esau;  the  Israelites  had  fear  of  Pharaoh. 
What   do   we   mean   to   say   when   we   speak  of  a   fear  of  God? 


572  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

Pupil  A. :  God  is  the  one  that  excites  our  fear.  Pupil  B. : 
God  is  the  ground  of  our  fear.  What  had  we  just  recognized 
a:,  the  ground  of  our  fear?  The  thought  of  an  unavoidable 
danger  or  a  threatening  disaster.  And  now  you  contend  that 
God  is  the  ground  of  your  fear?  How  do  you  reconcile  the  two 
statements?  Pupil  M. :  They  cannot  be  reconciled;  the  fear 
of  God  is  something  different. — Who  is  of  a  different  opinion? 
Pupil  C. :  They  can  be  reconciled.  God,  too,  can  send  us  disas- 
ter.— Explain  yourself  more  fully !  God  has  the  power  to  do 
so,  and  it  may  be  intended  as  a  punishment. — What  can  be  in- 
tended as  a  punishment?  The  disaster. — What  disaster  did 
Adam  think  of  when  he  hid  from  God  in  the  garden?  He 
thought  of  punishment  for  sin. — In  how  far  can  we  apply  the 
statement  that  fear  comes  from  the  thought  of  a  threatening 
danger  or  disaster  to  the  fear  of  God?  The  fear  of  God  comes 
from  the  thought  of  a  threatening  danger,  because  the  punish- 
ment for  our  sin  is  a  threatening  danger.— What  kind  of  disaster 
does  the  godly  man  consider  punishment  for  sin  when  he  com- 
pares it  with  every  other  evil?  As  the  greatest  evil  of  all. — 
Why ?  Pupil  K. :  Eevery  other  disaster  passes;  this  one  lasts 
forever.  Pupil  F. :  Every  other  disaster  comes  upon  us  in  this 
life,  while  that  one  comes  upon  us  in  the  other  life  as  well. — 
Which  parable  comes  to  your  minds  in  this  connection?  The 
parable  of  the  Rich  Man  and  Poor  Lazarus. — Name  just  one 
feature  of  that  parable,  the  one  that  illustrates  the  terribleness 
of  the  punishment  yonder !  The  rich  man  said  to  Abraham : 
Send  Lazarus,  that  he  may  dip  the  tip  of  his  finger  in  water  and 
cool  my  tongue ;  for  I  am  tormented  in  this  flame. — If  the 
godly  man  considers  punishment  for  sin  the  very  greatest  evil, 
what  will  his  fear  of  God  be  like?  Compare  it  with  every 
other  fear.  It  is  greater  than  any  other  fear. — Make  that 
clearer !  Pupil  J. :  The  godly  man  has  more  fear  of  God  than 
of  men.  Pupil  K. :  The  godly  man  fears  God  above  all  things. 
— Give  me  some  examples  !  When  the  Christians  were  perse- 
cuted the  demand  was  made  upon  them  to  cast  aside  their 
faith;  but  they  refused  to  do  it. — But  why?  They  feared  God 
more  than  any  man. — Other  examples  !  Abraham  was  willing 
to  sacrifice  his  own  son. — What  did  he  prove  by  that?  That 
he  feared  God. — Go  on!  Luther  at  the  diet  of  Worms,  when  he 
was  told  to  recant  his   writings.— What  did   he  say?     I   cannot 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  573 

recant.  Here  I  stand;  I  cannot  do  otherwise;  God  help  me. 
Amen  I — What  do  you  seek  to  prove  by  that  example?  That 
Luther  feared  God  more  than  he  did  the  emperor. — We  have 
become  acquainted  with  one  ground  of  the  fear  of  God.  But  it 
behooves  us  to  look  at  this  ground  somewhat  more  closely. 
In  what  light  does  man  consider  God  when  he  fears  His  pun- 
ishment? As  the  judge. — What  do  you  think  of  a  fear  of  God 
in  which  man  thinks  of  God  merely  as  a  ju4ge  about  to  inflict 
punishment?  That  is  a  wrong  kind  of  fear  of  God. — How  is 
such  wrong  kind  of  fear  of  God  called  under  another  name? 
A  servile  fear. — Why?  It  is  the  same  kind  of  fear  which  a  ser- 
vant has  of  his  master. — What  is  your  opinion  of  the  fear  of 
God  felt  by  the  Jews?  The  fear  which  the  Jews  had  of  God 
was  the  servile  kind. — Why  was  that?  'They  thought  of  God 
merely  as  a  severe  judge. — What  do  you  know  of  the  fear  which 
the  heathen  have  of  God?  The  heathen  have  no  fear  of  God. 
— How  is  that?  The  heathen  do  not  believe  in  God  at  all,  but 
only  in  idols. — You  are  right  there;  in  the  same  sense  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Jews  we  cannot  speak  of  the  heathen  having  fear 
of  God.  But  they  fear  their  gods  and  idols.  What  is  your  opin- 
ion in  regard  to  this  fear?  It  is  a  servile  fear. — Prove  that. 
Pupil  B. :  The  heathen  perform  sacrifices  in  order  to  appease 
the  wrath  of  their  gods.  Pupil  M. :  They  even  sacrifice  their 
own  children. — Quite  true.  Think  of  the  poem  :  "The  Ring  of 
Polycrates".  There,  too,  we  behold  the  servile  fear  of  the 
heathen.  How  so?  The  king  is  to  sacrifice  his  last  jewel,  lest 
the  gods  should  do  him  harm. — Which  words  of  Amasis  can  we 
quote  as  proof  of  the  truth  of  our  statement?  The  envy  of  the 
gods  I  dread;  From  birth  until  he  joins  the  dead,  No  mortal  al- 
ways lives  in  glee. — What  kind  of  fear,  then,  is  it  which  we 
Christians  should  feel?  A  child-like  fear. — Assign  a  reason  for 
it.  Pupil  C. :  God  is  our  father,  and  we  are  His  children. — 
What  kind  of  fear  this  child-like  fear  is,  I  want  to  make  plain 
to  you  through  an  example  from  life.  (Here  follows  an  inci- 
dent taken  from  life.)  The  boy  had  fear.  Of  what?  Of  pun- 
ishment.— That,  too.  But  therewith  you  have  not  sufficiently 
described  the  ground  of  his  fear.  He  feared  to  cause  grief  to 
his  father. — And  why  was  the  thought  so  painful?  He  knew 
that  his  father  loved  him. — Now  we  have  brought  out  two 
thoughts  that  we  can  give  as  grounds  of  his  fear.     Which  are 


574  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

they?  The  boy  thinks  first  of  the  punishment  he  has  to  ex- 
pect, and.  second,  of  the  possibility  of  grieving  his  father,  who 
loves  him  so  dearly. — Apply  this  to  the  fear  of  God.  But  give 
a  complete  answer,  in  this  form  :  The  servile  fear  arises  from 
the  thought,  etc.  The  servile  fear  arises  from  the  thought  of 
the  punishment  which  a  person  has  to  expect  for  his  sin;  the 
child-like  fear  arises  from  the  thought. — Well?  Remember 
that  we  have  given  a  twofold  cause  of  the  child-like  fear. — 
The  child-like  fear  arises  from  the  thought  of  the  punishment 
for  our  sin  and  of  the  grief  that  we  cause  a  loving  God  by  our 
sin. — Let  us  remember  this  statement  (it  is  put  down  on  the 
blackboard).  Let  us  now  repeat  the  main  statements  that  have 
been  made,  by  finding  answers  to  the  following  three  questions  : 
1.  How  does  fear  come  into  being?  2.  What  is  fear?  and  3. 
How  does  the  true  fear  of  God  come  into  being?  Fear  comes 
into  being  by  thinking  of  some  unavoidable  danger  or  threaten- 
ing disaster.  Fear  is  a  crushing  sensation  arising  when  we 
think  of  some  unavoidable  danger  or  threatening  disaster.  The 
true  fear  of  God  comes  into  being  when  we  think  of  the  punish- 
ment that  we  have  merited  by  reason  of  our  sin,  and  of  God 
the  loving  father,  whom  we  have  grieved  by  our  sins. — We  have 
so  far  considered  only  the  ground  of  the  true  fear  of  God.  Let 
us  view  next  the  effect  of  the  true  fear  of  God.  What  will  the 
servant  do  who  fears  the  wrath  of  his  master?  Pupil  G. :  He 
will  avoid  him.  Pupil  H. :  He  will  flee  from  him. — Apply  this 
to  the  servile  fear  of  God  !  When  a  person  has  a  servile  fear 
of  God,  he  will  flee  from  God. — Examples  !  When  Cain  had 
slain  his  brother  Abel,  he  fled  to  another  country.  Pupil  D. : 
When  Adam  had  sinned  against  God  he  hid  from  Him. — What 
effect,  now,  is  the  child-like  fear  likely  to  have?  Think  of 
the  boy  of  whom  I  told  you  a  short  time  ago.  He  went  to  his 
father  and  confessed  his  shortcoming;  he  thought  of  it  again 
and  again  and  avoided  sin  after  that. — What  effect,  accordingly, 
has  the  child-like  fear  of  God  upon  the  disposition  and  conduct 
of  people?  It  makes  them  better.  Quite  right.  The  servile 
fear  of  God  causes  us  to  flee  from  God;  the  child-like  fear  of 
God,  to  flee  from  sin  :  we  may  accordingly  say  that  it  sanctifies 
us.  What  kind  of  sensation,  accordingly,  is  the  true  fear  of 
God?  It  is  a  sensation  that  sanctifies. — Give,  therefore,  a  com- 
plete answer  to  the  question:     What  is   the  true  fear  of  God? 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  575 

the  ground  from  which  it  comes  into  being  to  be  included  in  the 
answer.  The  true  fear  of  God  is  a  sanctifying  sensation  aris- 
ing from  the  thought  that  we  have  sinned,  and  that  we  grieve 
the  loving  God  through  our  sin". 

This  model  example  of  Schmarje's  reminds  us  of  von  Rho- 
den's  comment  upon  the  scientific  catechization :  "As,  in  the 
game  of  croquet,  the  ball  is  driven  to  a  small  goal  through  nar- 
row arches,  immovably  fixed  at  the  outset,  which  is  accom- 
plished by  many  direct  blows,  to  which  others,  of  auxiliary 
character,  must  be  added  when  the  ball  has  been  driven  out  of 
its  course,  thus  the  master  of  the  scientific  catechization,  by 
means  of  many  chief  questions,  and,  at  every  sideward  leap  of 
the  childish  fancy,  of  even  more  numerous  auxiliary  questions, 
drives  the  thought  of  the  pupil  with  unwavering  determina- 
tion through  the  previously  fixed  iron  gates  of  his  own  pre- 
arranged course  of  thought  to  the  unrealized  goal  before  him — 
the  conception  formulated  by  the  book  or  the  teacher,  a  defi- 
nition or  something  like  it".  While  this  comparison  implies 
rather  too  much,  it  corroborates  most  of  what  has  been  said  on 
the  subject. — Zezschwitz,  in  his  model  catechization  on  the  Ninth 
and  the  Tenth  Commandments,  first  achieves  the  following  two 
results  by  a  gradual  development :  1.  The  Ninth  and  the  Tenth 
Commandments  forbid  selfishness  as  the  root  of  every  sin 
against  neighborly  love;  2.  the  Ninth  and  the  Tenth  Command- 
ments forbid  evil  lust  as  the  root  of  every  sin.  These  results 
achieved,  the  catechist  uses  them  to  establish  the  final  theme : 
The  Ninth  and  the  Tenth  Commandments  constitute  the  sum- 
mit of  the  whole  Law.  If,  at  the  same  time,  he  succeeded  in  in- 
fluencing the  emotions  and  the  will,  the  effect  was  due,  as  is 
the  case  with  many  other  catechists,  to  his  personality  rather 
than  his  method.  He  himself  appears  to  have  felt  the  insuffi- 
ciency of  his  method;  for  he  supplemented  his  "dialectic-didac- 
lic"  method  by  another,  which  he  called  the  "teleological-parae- 
netic"  method,  which  is  intended  for  application  to  the  in- 
struction of  catechumens,  treating  especially  with  the  Fourth 
and  Fifth  Part  of  the  Catechism,  and  to  the  instruction  of  the 
confirmed  (Christenlehre). 

Just   when  the  scientific  catechization    (Kunstkate- 
chese) had  attained  to  dominating  influence  in  the  cate- 


576  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

chetical  instruction  by  the  clergy,  a  new  idea  began  to 
gain  ground  among  the  representatives  of  the  school. 
Sponsored  by  the  psychology  and  pedagogy  of  Herbart, 
as  developed  especially  by  Ziller  (p.  160),  the  thought 
here  gradually  gained  ascendancy  that  the  way  from  the 
"concept"  to  the  "conception"  (cp.  p.  226)  is  through  the 
intuition,  and  that  therefore  a  fundamental  principle  of 
a  correct  catechetical  method  must  be  first  to  feed  the 
intuitive  faculty  of  the  child,  and  thus  to  enable  it  to 
make  progress  by  independent  thinking  and  judgment. 
Another  factor  making  for  a  change  in  the  method  of  in- 
struction was  the  fundamental  idea  of  religious  psycho- 
logy, advocated  more  and  more,  that  specifically  reli- 
gious conceptions  can  exert  vitalizing  power  upon  mind 
and  soul  only  as  there  is  a  beholding — an  intuition — of 
the  religious  and  moral  life,  of  which  such  conceptions 
are  the  expression.  Thus  the  view  at  once  was  cast 
aside  that  linguistic  usage  or  the  Bible  verse  is  to  con- 
stitute the  starting-point  in  the  development  of  the 
truths  of  the  Catechism.  At  the  same  time  the  scientific 
catechization  (Kunstkatechese)  could  no  longer  be 
advocated ;  for  though  intuitive  material  taken  from  his- 
tory or  the  life  of  the  present  was  employed  in  that 
method,  the  law  governing  it  in  all  its  parts  was  not  the 
paramountcy  of  the  intuitive  faculty.  The  scientific 
catechization  did  not  proceed  from  an  appeal  to 
the  intuitive  faculty;  that  is  to  say,  it  did  not,  first  of 
all.  strive  to  let  the  children  behold  the  nature  and  mean- 
ing of  the  religious  life  upon  the  background  of  the 
actual  life  of  religious-moral  personalities,  thus  enabling 
them  to  recognize  it  in  its  worth,  significance,  and 
beauty,  and  thereby  in  their  hearts  to  arouse  interest  in 
it,  desire  for  it,  and  the  determination  to  lead  such  a  life 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  577 

themselves.  And  just  because  this  was  neglected  by  the 
advocates  of  the  scientific  catechization,  their  efforts 
were  bound  to  be  abstract,  doctrinaire,  anything  but 
pulsating  with  life,  and,  in  consequence,  anything  but 
vitalizing,  unless  the  defects  of  the  method  were  atoned 
for  in  large  measure  by  the  personality  of  the  cate- 
chist.  Whatever  fault  one  may  find  with  the  school  of 
Herbart  and  Ziller,  and  the  modern  religious  philosophy, 
it  must  be  clear  from  the  whole  second  part  of  this  book 
(especially  pp.  249—253,  but  also  283,  287,  299)  that  the 
principle :  "from  the  intuition  of  the  religious-moral 
life  to  the  religious-moral  conception"  has  to  be  a  domi- 
nant and  indispensable  rule  of  the  catechetical  method. 
The  catechist  has  to  bring  the  children  face  to  face  with 
the  characters  of  history,  in  order  to  help  them  to  see 
what  truth  and  Christian  life  are.  This  was  the  method 
of  God  the  Father  when  He  sent  His  Son  into  the  world, 
so  that  men  might  behold  in  Him  the  Father,  the  Fath- 
er's nature  and  attributes,  His  holiness  and  love.  While 
this  was  not  the  sole  purpose  of  sending  Christ  into  the 
world,  it  was  nevertheless,  closely  related  to  redemption 
as  it  was,  one  of  the  reasons  of  His  coming  (John  14,  9 ; 
Matth.  11,  27).  This  was  the  method  of  Christ,  who  said 
to  John  and  Andrew :  "Come  and  ye  shall  see !"  (John 
1,  39,  compare  46)  ;  who  told  the  delegates  of  the  Bap- 
tist :  "Tell  John  the  things  which  ye  hear  and  see" 
(Matth.  11,  4)  ;  who,  in  order  to  lead  men  to  faith,  did 
not  formulate  definitions  or  syllogisms  concerning  God, 
His  own  person,  and  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  but  pre- 
sented Himself  in  person,  so  that,  with  His  own  wi11 
the  powerful  appeal  of  His  personality  as  a  Savior,  and 
His  divine-human  life  as  a  Redeemer  as  object-lessons, 
men  might  obtain  a  true  vision,  gain  vital  experiences. 


578  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

and  form  wholesome  judgments  (cp.  John  4,  42).  This 
was  the  method  of  Paul  also,  who  painted  Christ  before 
the  eyes  of  the  Galatians  as  the  crucified  (Gal.  3,  1). 
The  catechetical  rule  here  established  has  indeed 
been  exaggerated,  with  a  twofold  error  as  result.  There 
are  those  who  think  that  all  that  is  necessary  now  in  re- 
ligious instruction  is  to  picture  to  the  children  the  doings 
and  life  of  grace-endowed  personalities  in  fascinating 
concreteness  and  with  "contagious"  warmth,  so  that, 
coming  under  the  spell  of  the  life  so  beheld  and  mysteri- 
ously laid  hold  of  by  God  in  the  depth  of  their  own  souls, 
they  might  "meet  God".  It  is  evident  that,  where  that 
view  prevails,  the  emphasis  is  laid  upon  feeling,  upon 
patterning  one's  own  feelings  and  experiences  after  the 
life  of  the  personalities  beheld.  Far  less  interest  is 
evinced  in  the  thoughts  and  truths  uttered  by  them  or 
shown  forth  in  their  lives.  Still  less  is  it  believed  to  be 
the  object  of  religious  instruction,  in  co-operation  with 
the  children  and  with  the  life  of  such  grace-endowed 
personalities  as  object-lessons,  to  develop  definite,  pre- 
cise, religious  ideas  and  truths.  In  that  case,  the  in- 
tuitive principle,  by  reason  of  gross  exaggeration,  has 
led  to  the  complete  abandonment  of  all  instruction  in 
the  Catechism  ;  for,  with  this  principle,  the  chief  parts 
of  the  Christian  faith  could  hardly  be  rated  as  anything 
higher  than  the  expressions  of  the  religious  life  of  a 
Moses,  an  Athanasius,  a  Luther,  and  could  be  incident- 
ally treated  in  connection  with  Biblical  or  Church  His- 
tory. That  we  cannot  join  anyone  on  such  a  path,  is 
clear  from  ch.  26. — Others  thought  that  the  observance 
of  this  fundamental  rule  led  of  necessity  to  the  abolition 
of  instruction  in  the  Catechism  as  an  independent  dis- 
cipline.    The  intuitive  material   for  the  religious-moral 


The* Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  579 

life,  it  was  held,  is  found  in  the  Bible  stories.  When,  in 
the  process  of  presentation,  by  a  detailed  description  of 
the  characters  of  the  story  an  attractive,  alluring  pic- 
ture has  been  painted  of  true  religion  and  morality, 
which  has  been  made  even  more  precise,  more  clear,  and 
more  appealing  in  the  process  of  penetration,  nothing 
more  remains  to  be  done,  it  is  concluded,  than,  after  pre- 
ceding ''comparison"  if  necessary,  to  gather  the  several 
features  of  the  religious  life  that  have  been  set  forth  into 
a  terse  classical  expression.  This  is  supposed  to  be  most 
readily  accomplished  by  using  for  the  purpose  a  hymn 
stanza,  a  passage  of  the  Bible,  or  an  appropriate  sen- 
tence from  the  Catechism.  Thus  the  conception,  it  was 
thought,  grows  out  of  the  intuitive  material.  The  cate- 
chetical thesis  would  not  impress  the  children  as  some- 
thing discovered  and  dragged  in  from  the  outside,  to 
which  they  must  submit  at  any  price ;  but  as  something 
ascertained  through  their  own  effort  in  co-operation 
with  the  teacher,  to  which  they  cannot  refuse  to  yield 
without  self-disapproval.  But,  by  the  side  of  this  "cate- 
chetical step"  in  instruction  in  Biblical  History,  it  was 
held,  there  is  neither  room  nor  need  nor  justification  for 
anything  like  specific  instruction  in  the  Catechism.  In 
contrast  to  the  view  previously  discussed  there  is  here 
a  recognition  of  the  value  to  be  accorded,  also  in  the 
religious  life,  to  clear  cognitions  and  sharply  defined 
truths  and  conceptions;  and  there  is  a  lively  interest  in 
working  these  out.  While  this  touches  a  sympathetic 
cord  in  one  who  is  bound,  with  Paul  and  Luther,  to 
lay  stress  upon  "sound  doctrine"  (II  Tim.  4,  3),  we 
know  ourselves  to  be  opposed  to  this  view  also  (compare 
ch.  26).  We  believe  that  it  is  possible  to  hold  to  that 
fundamental    rule   in    all    its    bearings    and   apply    it    in 


580  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

practise  without  the  alternative  of  discarding  instruction 
in  the  Catechism  as  a  separate  discipline. 

Two  possibilities  have  to  be  considered  in  this  con- 
nection :  The  first  is  that  the  catechist  treats  Luther's 
Catechism  as  something  not  yet  existing ;  at  every  cate- 
chization  he  proceeds  from  an  intuitive  basis,  gleans 
from  that  some  religious  truth  or  directs  the  children  to 
glean  it.  garbs  it  in  the  words  of  the  Catechism,  and 
thus  builds  up  the  Catechism  by  a  method  purely  ana- 
lytical (this  word  to  be  understood  in  the  sense  of  p. 
487),  until  it  stands  as  a  unit  before  the  eyes  of  the  chil- 
dren. This  process  is  likely  to  comprise  in  every  cate- 
chetical lesson  something  like  the  following  steps:  1. 
The  Catechism  truth  is  developed  from  some  incident  in 
the  life  of  the  child  or  in  history ;  2.  When  the  children 
have  received  a  clear  idea  of  the  subject  matter,  it  is 
summarized  and,  with  the  aid  of  the  teacher,  first  ex- 
pressed in  the  child's  own  words ;  3.  the  teacher  garbs 
such  explanation  in  the  form  of  some  statement  of  Lu- 
ther's Catechism ;  4.  in  this  form  it  is  written  on  the 
blackboard,  drilled  with  due  attention  to  proper  intona- 
tion ;  then,  not  before,  they  are  looked  up  in  the  Cate- 
chism, drilled,  and  memorized.  In  this  way,  when,  e.  g., 
the  Fifth  Commandment  is  treated,  with  the  story  of 
Cains's  fratricide  to  serve  as  starting-point,  the  follow- 
ing truths  can  be  established  in  an  ascending  line 
through  the  didactic  conversation:  1.  We  are  not  per- 
mitted to  hurt  our  neighbor  in  his  body ;  2.  We  are  not 
allowed  to  harm  our  neighbor  in  his  body;  3.  we  should 
help  our  neighbor  in  every  bodily  need;  4.  we  should 
befriend  our  neighbor  in  every  bodily  need ;  5.  we  should 
do  or  leave  undone  all  this  out  of  fear  and  love  of  God. 
These  sentences  written  on  the  blackboard,  are  then,  at 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  581 

the  close  of  the  whole  conversation,  to  be  gathered  into 
a  whole  in  the  words  of  the  Catechism. — The  second 
possibility  is  that  the  Catechism  is  put  in  the  children's 
hands  at  the  outset ;  the  part  to  be  considered  is  looked 
up  ;  where  necessary,  its  structure  is  set  forth  by  a  care- 
ful analytical  process,  in  which  the  children  take  part ; 
the  analysis  completed,  its  clauses  are  written  on  the 
blackboard,  whereupon  the  children  are  made  acquaint- 
ed with  the  several  sentences  or  clauses  by  means  of  the 
analytical  development  (as  set  forth  on  p.  487),  which 
always  rises  from  the  intuition  of  religious-moral  life  to 
the  religious-moral  conception.  If,  for  instance,  the 
Fifth  Commandment  is  the  subject  under  consideration, 
let  it  be  analyzed  into  its  two  component  parts:  1. 
We  should  fear  and  love  God  and  not  hurt  or  harm  our 
neighbor  in  his  body ;  2.  we  should  fear  and  love  God 
and  help  and  befriend  our  neighbor  in  every  bodily  need. 
In  connection  wTith  each  one  of  the  four  truths  contained 
in  these  two  sentences,  the  catechist  will  make  a  begin- 
ning with  the  intuitive  material  offered  by  a  certain 
Biblical  story  or  the  experience  of  the  children,  in  order 
thus  to  lead  them  by  the  developing  process  from  that 
point  to  a  comprehensive  understanding  of  the  specific 
truth  to  be  taught.  A  detailed  picture  of  the  slave 
labor  of  the  Israelites  in  Egypt,  for  instance,  may  be 
painted,  in  order  to  let  the  children  vividly  see  and  feel 
the  impossibility  for  anyone  who  fears  and  loves  God 
to  hurt  or  harm  his  neighbor  in  the  body.  Or  a  word- 
picture  of  the  Good  Samaritan,  with  due  attention  to 
detail,  is  painted,  in  order  to  let  his  noble  traits  arouse 
the  sympathetic,  moral,  and  religious  interest  of  the  pu- 
pils, with  the  resolution  to  do  what  the  Samaritan  did 
as  outcome.    Or  if  the  Second  Article  is  to  be  explained, 


582  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

Luther's  explanation  should  first  be  analyzed,  where- 
upon the  several  clauses  may  be  developed  in  the  way 
of  induction  (analytical),  with  an  intuitive  basis  as  start- 
ing-point in  each  case.  In  order  to  enable  the  child 
really  to  apprehend  the  truth  "without  Christ  a  lost  and 
condemned  sinner",  a  word-picture  of  Adam  and  Eve 
at  the  moment  when  God  drove  them  from  Paradise 
should  be  painted,  or  of  some  heathen  from  the  history 
of  Missions,  whose  conscience  has  been  awakened,  so 
that  the  children  may  read  in  the  outlines  of  that 
picture,  and  in  a  measure  reproduce  in  their  own  feel- 
ings, what  the  sentence  from  the  Catechism  expresses. — 
There  the  Catechism,  in  its  several  clauses,  and  finally 
as  a  whole,  is  the  result  of  the  discourse;  and  here 
it  is  the  starting-point ;  but  in  both  cases  the  funda- 
mental rule :  from  the  intuition  of  the  religious-moral 
life  to  the  religious  conception,  dominates  the  process. 
In  the  first  mode  it  lies  at  the  root  of  the  process  as 
a  whole ;  in  the  second  it  is  of  moment  at  least  in  the 
teaching  of  some  specific  truth  of  the  Catechism.  In 
both  cases  the  important  element  of  progress  introduced 
by  the  method  of  rationalism  as  well  as  the  scientific 
catechizatiön  is  given  due  consideration;  we  have  a  real 
didactic  conversation,  in  which  the  pupil  is  led  from  the 
unknown  to  the  known,  i.  e.,  results  are  gained  through 
diligent  development. 

Which  of  the  two  modes  described  deserves  pre- 
ference? The  superiority  of  the  first,  at  first  glance, 
appears  so  great  that  there  is  no  room  for  the  second. 
All  learning  is  based  upon  apperception  (p.  234)  ;  for 
this  reason  all  teaching  of  new  truth,  if  it  is  to  be  cor- 
rect methodically,  is  bound  to  take  place  in  connection 
with  such  truth  as  is  already  found  in  the  soul.     This 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  583 

principle  is  altogether  in  force  in  the  first  mode;  for 
the  starting-point  is  not  some  foreign  quantity,  as  "Cate- 
chism", but  a  personal  experience  or  a  well  known  story: 
therewith  the  cell-wall  is  supplied,  as  it  were,  against 
which  the  new  cell  is  built.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  how- 
ever, the  case  of  the  second  mode  is  by  no  means  so 
bad  as  might  be  inferred  from  these  admissions.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that,  for  pupils  who  have  been 
instructed  in  Biblical  History  according  to  the  rules  laid 
down  above,  the  Catechism  has  ceased  to  be  a  "foreign 
quantity''.  While  it  has  not  been  presented  to  them 
so  far  as  a  unit  or  been  treated  as  such  in  special  les- 
sons, it  is  nevertheless  true  that  every  Biblical  History 
period  had  taken  up  a  certain  part  of  the  Catechism  and 
garbed  the  truth  gleaned  from  Biblical  History  in  its 
language.  It  is  not  likely  that  there  are  many  sentences 
of  the  Catechism  not  already  elaborated  by  the  instruc- 
tion in  Biblical  History  and,  therefore,  familiar 
to  the  pupils.  The  need  hardly  exists  at  that  juncture 
to  construct  the  Catechism  independently.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  child  is  prepared  for  it,  and  desires  to  become 
acquainted  with  it  as  a  whole.  The  child  has  by  this 
time  attained  to  such  intellectual  maturity  that  this  life 
manual,  intended  and  qualified  to  serve  as  fingerpost 
and  compass  for  its  whole  religious  and  moral  life,  by 
the  help  of  which  it  is  to  become  more  and  more  familiar 
with  Holy  Scripture,  can  safely  be  put  into  its  hand  as 
a  summary  of  the  faith  confessed  by  the  Church,  full 
membership  in  which  is  the  goal  of  its  present  tutelage. 
The  second  method  is  the  very  expedient  calculated  to 
impress  upon  the  child  the  difference  between  the  in- 
struction in  the  Catechism  now  in  progress  and  the 
instruction  in  Biblical  History  which  preceded  it  and  still 


584  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

continues  as  a  parallel  course.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
the  pupil  will  become  more  firmly  grounded  in  the 
Catechism ;  for  it  is  the  Catechism  which  he  now  has 
always  before  him,  and  which  now  forms  the  starting- 
point  for  every  catechization  and,  properly  understood, 
also  its  aim.  Nor  is  it  true  that  Christian  children  lose 
interest  when  the  aim  of  the  catechization  has  been  an- 
nounced to  them  at  the  outset  in  the  words  of  the  Cate- 
chism;  as,  for  instance,  when  a  new  general  subject  is 
announced  in  words  such  as  these :  "The  next  lessons 
shall  teach  us  what  Luther's  explanation  of  the  First 
Commandment  requires  of  us  Christians".  The  same 
holds  good  when  some  subordinate  point  is  treated  of,  as, 
"Today  we  want  to  learn  how,  as  Christians,  we  should 
fear,  love,  and  trust  in  God  above  all  things".  There 
is  the  additional  advantage  here  that  the  children  are 
enabled  at  the  outset  to  look  upon  the  intuitive  material 
to  which  they  are  introduced  from  the  definite  point  of 
view  indicated  by  the  statement  of  aim,  and  that  a 
close  inner  relation  is  at  once  established  in  their  souls 
between  the  truth  expressed  in  the  Catechism  and  the 
intuitive  material  laid  before  them,  so  that  the  one  can- 
not awake  in  the  memory  without  the  other.  For  this 
reason  the  second  mode  should  receive  preference  as 
a  rule,  especially  in  the  circumstances  prevailing  in  our 
country.  It  adopts  all  the  elements  of  truth  contained 
in  the  catechetical  methods  heretofore  discussed  and  pre- 
sents the  correct  method  in  a  fusion  of  all  of  them. 
The  catechist  here  presents  the  whole  Catechism  and 
holds  it  up  to  the  young  as  the  sum  of  truth,  experienced 
and  proved  as  such  by  himself  and  the  whole  mature 
congregation : — this  is  the  element  of  strength  in  the 
method  obtaining  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation.     At 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  585 

the  same  time  the  catechist  endeavors  to  analyze  the 
several  parts  through  questions,  and  thereby  to  bring 
about,  or,  in  any  event,  facilitate  at  least,  a  rudimentary 
understanding"  of  them : — this  is  the  truth  in  the  method 
of  pietism.  While  constantly  stimulating  the  pupil 
to  independent  thinking,  he  makes  it  his  object  to 
effect  a  real  comprehension  of  the  subject  by  means  of 
the  didactic  conversation,  and  thus  to  put  in  operation 
the  element  of  truth  found  in  the  scientific  catechization 
as  well  as  the  Socratic  method.  But  all  this  is  done  only 
by  leading  from  the  intuition  of  the  religious-moral  life 
to  the  religious-moral  conception,  whereby  the  compati- 
bility of  this  method  with  the  fundamental  demands  of 
present-day  psychology  stands  demonstrated. 

Notwithstanding,  one  other  thing  dare  not  be  over- 
looked :  The  whole  didactic  conversation  must  pursue 
aims  altogether  practical.  The  needs  to  be  satisfied 
should  not  merely  be  of  an  intellectual  nature.  While 
these  are  by  no  means  to  be  overlooked,  the  molding  of 
the  life  should  invariably  be  the  final  object.  Not 
this  is  of  moment  that  the  children,  on  the  basis  of  the 
intuitive  material  supplied  to  them,  are  able  to  give  a 
correct  definition  of  "trusting",  but  that,  at  the  sight  of 
David  risking  unequal  combat  with  Goliath  on  the 
strength  of  his  trust  in  God,  they  have  gotten  a  vivid 
intuition  of  living  faith ;  that  their  hearts  have  been 
warmed  by  what  they  have  seen ;  that  they  have  recog- 
nized the  great  value  of  trust  in  God ;  that  they  have  be- 
gun to  perceive  the  utter  inadequacy,  the  sinfulness  of 
any  other  trust ;  that  they  have  recognized  the  fact  that 
there  are  situations  in  their  own  life  where  everything 
depends  upon  just  such  trust ;  and  that,  if  it  please  God 
(p.  266,  309),  they  leave  the  room  with  the  resolution. 


586  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

even  now  as  children,  ever  to  trust  in  no  one  as  they  do 
in  God.  It  is  only  thus  that  the  personal  character  of 
Luther's  explanations  with  its  "I",  "we",  "us",  comes 
into  its  own  (p.  114);  it  is  a  direct  challenge  to  the 
catechist  not  to  content  himself  with  the  role  of  a  mere 
preceptor,  but  by  all  means  to  be  personal  and  practical 
in  his  instruction,  and  to  keep  in  mind  the  individual 
and  the  molding  of  his  life.  Also  here  the  threefold 
life  of  the  soul  is  to  be  set  in  motion,  which  means  that 
the  intellect  with  the  emotional  and  the  volitional  life 
must  receive  harmonious  attention.  Quite  true,  clear  con- 
ceptions are  to  be  achieved;  for  hazy  ideas  are  seldom 
effective ;  but  not  these  conceptions  in  themselves  should 
be  the  aim.  but  only  as  a  power  for  the  practical  Chris- 
tian life.  Luther  may  well  serve  as  our  pattern  in  this  re- 
spect, who,  no  matter  what  important  truths  he  states, 
f.  i.,  in  the  First  or  Second  Article,  in  conclusion  al- 
ways establishes  the  connection  between  them  and  the 
practical  life. 

Accordingly  the  process  of  a  catechization  (espe- 
cially on  the  First,  Second,  and  Third  Chief  Parts)  will 
be  as  follows:  1.  Statement  of  aim,  for  the  purpose 
of  giving  the  children  an  opportunity  of  collecting  their 
thoughts  and  concentrating  them  upon  one  point.  The 
stage  of  preparation  may  usually  be  safely  passed  over, 
especially  since  the  new  catechization  is  ushered  in  by 
review  and  drill  questions  concerning  the  substance  of 
the  preceding  catechization,  whereby  the  children  are 
led  up  the  point  where  a  new  start  is  made.  The  state- 
ment of  aim  should  be  couched  in  a  single  sentence  of 
the  Catechism,  as,  "Today  let  us  learn  that  Christians 
should  use  the  name  of  God  for  the  purpose  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving"" ;  or,  "Today  let  us  learn  that  no  one 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  587 

has  ever  become  a  believer  in  the  Lord  Jesus  by  his  own 
reason  and  strength".  2.  The  developing  of  the  specific 
truth  from  the  intuitive  material.  If  this  truth  is  to  be 
of  value,  result  in  clear  cognitions,  and  move  feelings 
and  will,  the  intuitive  material  should  not  be  merely 
touched  upon :  all  its  points  should  be  utilized  by  being 
laid  under  contribution  to  the  feature  indicated  in  the 
statement  of  aim.  Only  thus  can  an  adequate  picture  of 
God's  or  man's  conduct  be  produced.  There  may  be  oc- 
casions when  it  will  be  necessary  to  bring  in  a  second  or 
a  third  story,'  in  order  to  draw  from  it  every  feature 
of  the  catechetical  truth  under  consideration.  When, 
for  instance,  trust  in  God,  as  required  by  the  explanation 
of  the  First  Commandment,  is  to  be  set  forth,  it  will 
be  advisable  to  adduce  not  only  David's  combat  with 
Goliath,  but  also  his  conduct  under  Saul's  persecution; 
for  while  the  former  story  illustrates  trust  in  action,  the 
latter  is  intended  to  illustrate  trust  in  suffering.  The 
closer  the  relations  between  the  story  drawn  upon, 
whether  from  the  Bible  or  life,  and  the  truth  of  the  Cate- 
chism, the  better.  Another  reason  this,  why  nothing- 
has  been  gained  when  a  story  is  merely  touched  upon. 
3.  A  comparison  with  similar  or  even  contrasting  stories 
is  often  calculated  to  bring  out  the  truth  under  consid- 
eration even  better.  Thus  David's  trust  in  God  is  rend- 
ered more  conspicuous  when  compared  with  Goliath's 
self-trust.  Likewise,  the  impression  made  by  David's 
trust  is  deepened  when  paralleled  with  that  of  Moses 
which  prompted  him  to  pass  through  the  Red  Sea. 
God's  faithfulness  appears  so  much  greater  when  viewed 
against  the  background  of  man's  unfaithfulness.  Has 
the  specific  truth  been  developed  from  the  intuitive  ma- 
terial and  its  true  nature  been  more  fully  recognized  by 


588  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

comparison,  there  follows,  4.  A  valuation  of  the  action 
of  God  or  of  such  persons  as  have  been  used  for  in- 
tuitive material,  or  drawn  upon  for  the  purpose  of  com- 
parison. The  children  are  trained  to  rate  the  value 
and  significance  of  an  action  in  itself  and  in  the  light 
of  its  results ;  human  acts  are  to  be  examined  as  to 
whether  they  are  good  or  bad,  worthy  of  emulation  or 
of  detestation.  Thus  has  already  been  introduced  what 
need  not  be  emphasized  as  a  special  step  in  every  case, 
yea,  must  occasionally  be  omitted  altogether,  namely, 
5.. The  application  of  the  truth  to  the  children's  own 
life.  Such  application  is  effectual  and  in  place  only  when 
it  does  not  form  a  mere  appendage  but  forces  itself  upon 
the  mind  as  the  natural  conclusion  of  what  has  gone  be- 
fore. Has,  e.  g.,  trust  in  God  been  spoken  of  and  its 
high  value  as  a  factor  for  life  been  recognized,  the  ques- 
tion will  naturally  suggest  itself :  What  shall  you  do 
when  you  are  to  solve  a  difficult  problem ;  when  you 
are  to  undertake  a  dangerous  trip  ;  when  you  are  alone 
at  night ;  when  a  severe  thunderstorm  is  coming  up ; 
when  you  should  lose  your  father ;  when  your  poverty 
oppresses  you ;  when  wealth  and  honor  beckon  as  a  re- 
sult of  leaving  the  right  path,  etc.?  Have  the  children, 
in  connection  with  the  Second  Article,  been  made  con- 
scious of  the  fact  that  Jesus  Christ  is  true  God,  the  ques- 
tion will  naturally  suggest  itself:  Who,  then,  will  be 
your  comfort  in  trouble,  even  the  greatest ;  but  what, 
in  view  of  that  fact,  will  you  always  have  to  guard 
against?  If  the  truth  has  dawned  upon  the  children  that 
their  Lord  and  Redeemer  is  true  man  also  today — the 
same  man  who  has  gone  through  every  temptation  here 
on  earth,  they  are  shown  how  to  apply  to  themselves  the 
comfort  given  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  that  the 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  589 

Savior  will  surely  have  pity  upon  our  weakness.  If  a 
description  has  been  given  of  the  cost  of  our  deliver- 
ance from  sin,  death,  and  devil,  namely,  Jesus'  blood  and 
life,  the  question  will  at  once  occur  how  God  evidently 
judges  of  our  sin,  and  what  care  we  should  take  to 
guard  against  it,  etc.  The  fourth  or  the  fifth  step  is 
usually  the  one  where  the  Bible  verse  or  the  hymn  may 
be  drawn  upon  with  advantage.  In  connection  with  the 
fourth,  the  Bible  passage  will  usually,  though  not  ex- 
clusively, come  in  as  "dictum  probans" — in  connection 
with  the  fifth  usually  as  an  admonition  for  life  (p.  410). 
We  cannot  dispense  with  it  as  dictum  probans,  modern 
objections  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  For  in- 
stance, when  the  redemptive  value  of  the  work  of  Christ 
is  under  discussion,  who  is  authorized  to  render  a 
final  valuation  in  the  premises  save,  in  addition  to  the 
prophets,  Jesus  and  the  apostles?  Who  can  be  relied 
upon  for  a  thorough  and  trustworthy  disclosure  of  hu- 
man sin  and  helplessness  and  of  saving  grace  as  well, 
man  himself,  ever  ready  to  deceive  himself  and  to  trust 
in  his  own  power  for  help,  or  God ;  the  patient  who  be- 
lieves himself  much  sounder  than  he  is,  or  the  physi- 
cian, who  understands  the  disease  and  is  aware  of  the 
healing  power  of  his  remedies?  To  be  sure,  the  Bible' 
verse  can  be  applied  in  a  manner  so  mechanical  that 
the  children  are  led  to  feel  that  the  Bible  is  merely  a  code 
of  doctrine,  to  whose  injunctions  and  statements  only 
blind  submission  is  due.  But  when,  again  and  again, 
the  truth  is  emphasized  that,  in  a  history  of  over  two 
thousand  years,  the  Bible  has  shown  itself  as  truth  and 
life;  that  it  is  the  grace  of  God  which  has  given  it; 
that  true  association  with  it  has  never  yet  brought  forth 
slaves    but    always    free    children    of    God— happy    and 


590  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

cheerful  in  every  trouble,  joyous  and  bold  even  when 
face  to  face  with  death  ;  when  the  children  are  made  to 
feel  that  it  is  holy  and  precious  to  the  catechist  him- 
self ;  that  it  is  the  true  book  of  life,  such  thoughts 
will  not  arise.  What  the  children  need  here,  as  in  con- 
nection with  instruction  of  children  in  general,  is  a  little 
confidence  in  the  greater  experience  of  the  teacher. 
Often  it  may  already  be  advisable  in  connection  with  the 
fourth  step,  and,  still  more,  with  the  fifth,  to  introduce 
the  one  or  the  other  passage  from  the  Bible  as  a  testi- 
mony expressing  the  experience  of  those  holy  men, 
provided  only  that  the  fact  of  its  absolute  correctness 
and  universal  application  is  not  deprived  of  any  of 
its  force.  Cases  in  point  are  Ps.  23  in  connection  with 
the  First  Commandment  and  of  the  First  Article;  Rom. 
8,  31  ff.  when  the  blessed  state  of  God's  children  is 
under  discussion;  Ps.  145,  18.  19  in  connection  with  the 
Second  Commandment.  Whatever  Bible  passages  are 
called  for  under  point  five,  should  bear  a  practical  char- 
acter throughout,  with  Ps.  119,  9  and  Ps.  19.  8—12 
governing  the  perspective.  When  the  time  has  come 
for  the  class  to  form  a  valuation  of  the  act  under  dis- 
cussion or  to  apply  the  truths  derived,  it  may  be  ap- 
propriate to  read  lengthier  sections  from  Scripture,  as, 
Isa.  53  in  connection  with  "purchased,  redeemed,  and 
won  me  .  .  .  with  His  holy  precious  blood,  etc." ;  Heb. 
11  in  connection  with  the  treatment  of  the  nature  and 
fundamental  character  of  faith;  1  Cor.  13  in  connection 
with  the  subject  of  Christian  love  of  the  brethren,  etc. 
(p.  412).  The  hymn  takes  its  place  by  the  side  of  the 
Bible  passage  as  the  expression  of  the  experience  of  the 
later  generations  and,  at  the  same  time,  as  evidence  of 
the   fact  that  also  todav  men  mav  have  the  same  ex- 


The  Method  of  Instruction  in  the  Catechism.  591 

periences  as  those  ancient  men  of  God  experienced  and 
expressed  under  singular  divine  guidance  in  Holy  Scrip- 
ture.    There  are  occasions  when  whole  hymns  may  be 
aptly  quoted. — The  final  requirement  is  6.  The  drill.     If 
a  catechism  with  explanation  be  the  textbook,  the  sec- 
tion dealing  with  the  subject  is  looked  up  when  applica- 
tion is  finished.     It  goes  without  saying  that  it  will  be 
of  service  only  when  it  is  the  sublimate  of  the  catechiza- 
tion  that  had  been  conducted  in  the  class-room.     This 
section  should  then  be  read  by  the  pupils  at  the  close  of 
the  catechization.     At  home  it  should  be  studied.     The 
next  day,  before  the  new  subject  is  taken  up,  a  number  of 
questions  are  asked  for  the  purpose  of  reviewing  and 
drilling.        The     questions      should      not      require     an- 
swers     that      literally      reproduce      memorized      mate- 
rial.    It  is  better  that  merely  the  essential  facts  be  re- 
capitulated, as  has  been  emphasized  on  p.  494,  nor  should 
they  be  restricted  to  intellectual  features  alone ;  see  Prac- 
tical Examples  at  the  end  of  this  section.     If  the  cate- 
chism in  use  contains  no  explanation,  a  notebook  should 
be  procured  by  the  pupils.     In  that  the  drill  questions 
asked  by  the  teacher  should  be  entered  and  studied  un- 
til the  next  lesson,  when  they  are  to  be  answered  in  writ- 
ing or  orally.    For  light  upon  this  point,  as  for  informa- 
tion how  to  give  the  catechization  a  practical  trend,  we 
refer  to  Practical   Examples.     At  the  same  place  is  to 
be    found    a    catechetical    "excursus",    such    as    may    be 
undertaken  at  the  end  of  a  Chief  Part  or  after  complet- 
ing the  Catechism  in  all  its  parts. 

That  not  the  text  proper  together  with  Luther's 
explanation  should  be  the  subject  for  catechization,  but 
only  the  latter,  has  been  emphasized  on  p.  354.  Only 
in   connection   with   the  Ten  Commandments,   and   even 


592  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

F 

then  only  as  a  feature  of  the  preliminary  discussion,  will 
there  be  an  occasion  to  enter  upon  the  Old  Testament 
significance,  in  order  subsequently  to  ascend  to  the  les- 
sons they  contain  for  us  Christians  according*  to  Luther. 
In  connection  with  the  Second  Chief  Part  a  verbal  ex- 
planation, as  far  as  necessary,  will  be  in  place,  to- 
gether with  an  analysis.  At  most  a  few  historic  remarks 
are  needed,  so  that  afterward  all  available  strength  may 
be  devoted  to  the  setting  forth  of  what  we  Lutheran 
Christians  mean  to  confess  in  the  Apostolic  Creed,  which 
is  so  often  upon  our  lips.  When,  in  the  Third  Chief 
Part,  which  requires  but  brief  treatment,  and  with  the 
Fourth  and  Fifth,  which  require  a  lengthier  and  some- 
what different  treatment  from  that  of  the  first  three, 
the  biblical  text  is  made  the  starting-point,  the  whole  ex- 
position will  issue  in  Luther's  explanation. — When, 
finally,  the  requirement  is  made  that  the  ex- 
planation of  the  Catechism  should  be  Christo-centric, 
all  that  is  needed  is  to  fall  in  with  the  trend  of  Luther's 
explanation,  and  the  Christo-centric  character  of  the 
explanation  will  take  care  of  itself.  Cp.  especially  pp. 
345  f.,  360  f..  389,  but  also  383  f. 

36.     Method  of  Teaching  the  Remaining  Material. 

Compare  literature   in  chapters  26,  29,   and  30. 

The  hymn  cannot  generally  be  accorded  independent 
treatment  while  our  school  system  remains  subject  to 
present  conditions.  We  shall  have  to  be  content  with 
illuminating  it,  as  occasion  may  require,  now  as 
a  whole  now  in  part,  in  connection  with  instruction  in 
Biblical  History,  the  Catechism,  and  Church  History. 
When  it  is  there  brought  in  at  the  right  moment,  read 
by  the  teacher  in  an  impressive  manner,  and  the  pupils 


Method  of  Teaching  the  Remaining  Material  593 

are  then  drilled  in  it  in  order  to  read  it  well  and  with  ex- 
pression, and,  moreover,  are  given  a  short  explanation  of 
those  words  that  need  an  explanation,  all  is  virtually 
done  that  is  necessary  for  its  comprehension  (p.  421). 
When  a  festival  approaches,  selection  is  made  of  some 
striking  festive  hymn ;  festive  feelings  are  aroused  in 
the  children's  minds ;  they  are  shown  how  those  festive 
feelings  are  given  expression  in  the  hymn,  everything 
unintelligible  meanwhile  being  explained  as  briefly  as 
possible;  it  is  then  read  in  an  impressive  manner,  at 
first  as  a  whole,  then  the  first  stanza ;  the  class  is  there- 
upon taught  to  read  the  first  verse  with  due  attention  to 
intonation ;  last  of  all,  the  melody  is  practiced,  but  not 
without  first  having  sung  or  played  it  for  the  class.  By 
this  time  the  children  almost  remember  the  words,  so 
that  it  will  soon  be  possible,  perhaps  in  the  next  lesson 
already,  to  have  a  few  stanzas  sung  from  memory.  Fre- 
quent reviews,  especially  through  singing,  will  make  the 
children's  knowledge  of  it  secure.  That  no  hymns  should 
be  assigned  for  memorizing  without  having  been  treated 
in  the  manner  here  set  forth,  should  appear  self-evident. 
Should  there  be  time  (cp.  also  p.  480)  to  devote  more 
attention  to  a  hymn,  let  care  be  taken  to  avoid  the  sup- 
erabundance of  other  material  under  which  teachers  are 
wont  to  bury  it.  Even  where  more  time  is  available,  it 
will  be  sufficient  to  treat  the  hymn  according  to  Schue- 
ren's  suggestions  (p.  119  fT.),  whom  we  quote  in  the 
Practical  Examples  given  at  the  end  of  this  section. 

In  what  manner  the  reading  of  the  Bible  is  to  be 
connected  with  the  instruction  in  Biblical  History  and 
in  Catechism,  has  already  been  shown  (pp.  412,  460, 
590).  Where  Bible  reading  is  treated  as  an  independent 
branch,  the  following:  order  will  be  found  to  answer  the 


594  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

purpose  best:  1.  The  teacher,  using  the  acroamatic  or 
erotematic  method,  establishes  the  connection  with  the 
preceding-  part  to  the  extent  that  is  desirable  and  prac- 
ticable, with  frequent  recapitulations  covering  the  whole 
Gospel  or  Epistle;  2.  when  such  review  does  not  suffice, 
he  prepares  the  ground  for  the  new  section  by  pointing 
out  the  fundamental  thoughts  and  reading  the  whole 
with  due  adaptation  of  voice  to  sense  and  tone ;  3.  he  lets 
the  children  read  the  section  (those  rather  intelligent 
are  called  upon  first,  then  the  backward  ones  ;  the  more 
important  parts  are  read  in  unison)  ;  he  intersperses  the 
reading  with  the  necessary  explanations  (only  such), 
by  paraphrasing  difficult  expressions,  dissolving  involv- 
ed sentences,  explaining  geographical,  archeological 
features,  etc. ;  4.  he  has  the  class  trace  the  fundamental 
thought,  connects  it  with  something  already  known,  etc., 
and  concludes  with  the  question :  "What  does  this  sec- 
tion teach  you,  children?''  When  the  Epistles  are  read, 
the  object  must  be  not  to  lose  oneself  in  details,  but  to 
discover  and  pursue  the  thread  of  the  discourse ;  when 
the  Gospels  are  read,  it  is  advisable  occasionally  to  read 
the  parallel  sections,  or  to  have  the  brief  account  in  the 
section  read  supplemented  by  additional  features  glean- 
ed elsewhere  in  Biblical  History,  and  thus  to  explain 
Scripture  by  itself  (Cp.  Schueren,  p.  47  ff.). 

In  regard  to  Church  History  we  generally,  have  to 
confine  ourselves  to  a  rousing  narration  of  epochal 
events,  with  special  emphasis  upon  educative  features, 
and  to  drill  questions.  Where  the  requisite  amount  of 
time  is  available,  one  may  readily  accommodate  him- 
self to  the  "formal  steps'',  among  which  pre- 
sentation and  association  require  the  greater  amount 
of     care. — In     the     Young      People's     Society     more 


Method  of  Teaching  the  Remaining  Material  595 

freedom  is  naturall)-  vouchsafed.  While  the  ac- 
roamatie  form  of  instruction  is  bound  to  prepon- 
derate here,  the  need  for  self-activity  should  not  be  over- 
looked. Where  a  City  or  Young  People's  Library  ren- 
ders the  requisite  literature  available,  historic  sections, 
delineations  of  characters,  etc.,  may  be  read,  followed 
by  brief  essays  on  the  subject,  which,  in  turn,  can  be 
made  the  starting-point  of  a  discussion.  This  applies 
especially  to  such  questions  regarding  church  and  reli- 
gion which  are  at  the  time  being  of  general  interest  (p. 
480).  Also  questions  relating  to  church  usage  and  dis- 
cipline (p.  479),  difficult  passages  of  Scripture,  etc., 
can  be  illuminated  in  the  manner  suggested.  It  falls 
to  the  leader  to  remain  in  control  of  the  discussion  and, 
at  the  end,  to  give  a  lucid,  concise,  and  impressive  gen- 
eralization. But  the  converse  rule,  too,  will  be  found 
available :  the  leader  delivers  a  lecture,  and  the  discus- 
sion follows.  When,  for  instance,  in  connection  with 
the  biography  of  Athanasius,  the  Nicene  Creed  becomes 
the  topic  for  discussion,  the  young  people  may  be  in- 
vited to  show  at  the  next  meeting  in  how  far  inalienable 
elements  of  the  Christian  faith  were  at  stake ;  in  how  far 
the  testimony  of  Scripture  favored  Athanasius ;  in  what 
churches  views  akin  to  those  of  Arius  are  found  today. 
Or,  the  origin  of  the  Papacy  is  pictured  along  purely 
historic  lines,  without  anticipating  a  verdict,  whereupon 
attention  is  directed  to  such  Scripture  passages  as  Matth. 
16  and  others  and  the  proof  furnished  why  these  can 
nowise  be  bearers  of  the  papal  idea.  Or,  the  origin  of 
monasticism  has  been  made  the  subject  of  a  lecture : 
this  is  followed  by  a  discussion  in  which,  the  young  al- 
ways participating,  the  fundamental  traits  of  a  truly 
Christian  ideal  of  life,  with  its  stress  upon  the  duties 


596  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

of  the  secular  calling,  are  substituted  for  the  monastic 
ideal.  The  fact  that,  under  Constantine,  the  Church 
becomes  a  State  Church,  supplies  an  opportunity  to  ex- 
change opinions  upon  the  relation  between  State  and 
Church.  A  description  of  the  ruin  of  the  Medieval 
Church  may  issue  in  a  series  of  questions  regarding  the 
scripturalness  of  the  distinctive  doctrines  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church  or  the  legitimacy  of  the  charge  made  against 
the  Reformation  that  moral  life  did  not  decline  until 
after  its  advent.  A  study  of  the  life  of  Luther  may  give 
rise  to  a  discussion  of  the  fundamental  difference  be- 
tween the  Lutheran  and  the  Roman  Church,  of  the  mean- 
ing and  the  bearings  of  the  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith  alone,  of  the  relation  of  Luther  to  Paul,  of 
the  difference  in  the  conception  of  faith  in  the  Lutheran 
and  the  Roman  camp  respectively  (cp.  especially  Reu, 
Luther's  Life,  Sketched  for  Young  People's  Societies 
and  the  Necessary  Directions  for  General  Discussion 
Appended,  1917).  A  lecture  on  the  Thirty-years'  War 
will  furnish  an  opportunity  to  discuss  the  ultimate  aims 
of  Rome  in  regard  to  our  countrv,  etc. 

37.    Method  and  Period. 

F.  Zange,  Schulagende,  1893. — O.  Zuck,  Schulandachten  fuer 
das  ganze  Jahr.  1881.— Knaudt,  Schulandachten.  1910. 

There  must  be  careful  preparation  for  every  cate- 
chetical period.  That  the  catechist  is  constantly  occu- 
pied with  the  study  of  catechetical  material  and  will  not 
ignore  new  facts  as  to  method  (cp.  ch.  38),  is  a  self-evi- 
dent postulate ;  but  each  individual  period,  too,  requires 
preparation.  The  catechist  must  have  clearness  regard- 
ing the  ground  to  be  covered,  not  only  in  general  but 
down  to  the  last  detail ;  regarding  the  aim  to  be  fixed, 


Method  and  Period  597 

both  the  outer  and  the  inner  aim;  and  the  way  to  reach 
it.  While  for  the  beginner,  it  is  advisable,  under  cer- 
tain circumstances  necessary,  to  write  down  his  catechi- 
zation  in  minutest  detail,  it  will  later  be  sufficient  to  draft 
a  sketch;  eventually  a  careful  mental  survey  of  the 
subject  matter  will  prove  adequate.  The  catechist  will 
do  well  by  providing  a  notebook  both  for  his  instruc- 
tion in  Biblical  History  and  the  Catechism,  in  which 
should  be  entered  whatever  he  has  found  valuable  for 
the  several  steps  of  preparation,  statement  of  aim, 
presentation,  penetration,  application  (Biblical  History) 
and,  likewise,  for  the  intuitional  basis,  comparison,  judg- 
ment, application  (Catechism).  Entering  the  class-room 
thus  equipped,  he  will  also  recall  what  the  next  para- 
graph has  to  say  about  his  personal  relation  to  the  chil- 
dren and  the  Word  he  is  to  offer  them ;  then  he  will 
invoke  the  blessing  of  God  and  address  himself  to  his 
task. 

Every  religious  period,  unless  it  should  be  a  link 
in  a  chain  of  other  lessons,  is  to  be  opened  with  prayer. 
Whether  the  class  speaks  in  unison  with  the  catechist 
or  the  catechist  speaks  the  prayer  alone,  it  should  al- 
ways be  a  real  prayer,  brought  before  God  with  a  con- 
centration of  all  the  energies  of  the  soul.  The  example 
of  the  teacher  is  of  great  importance  here,  the  more  so 
as  many  children  are  under  no  constraint  at  home  in 
the  premises,  often  even  without  opportunity  of  hearing 
prayer.  Prayer,  therefore,  is  not  the  least  a  part  of  the 
education  to  be  imparted.  It  is,  furthermore,  often  ad- 
visable to  connect  a  hymn  with  the  opening  prayer, 
which  should  be  sung  with  vim  and  vigor;  while  it  may 
bear  in  point  of  content  upon  the  character  of  the  les- 
son,  this   is   by   no   means   essential.  ■  Not   seldom   the 


598  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

proprieties  of  the  occasion  will  have  been  observed  when 
a  morning  hymn  has  been  sung  and  the  morning  prayer 
found  in  the  Catechism  has  been  said.  Our  fathers 
knew  why  they  instituted  this  practise;  often,  when  the 
lesson  took  place  in  the  afternoon,  it  was  brought  to  a 
close  with  the  evening  prayer. 

In  the  partial  parish  or  catechumen  school,  the 
opening  prayer  will  at  once  be  followed  by  Biblical  His- 
tory, when  the  new  story  should  be  presented  and  after- 
ward read  by  the  class  several  times  from  the  textbook ; 
an  opportunity  will  thus  be  presented  for  a  brief  ex- 
planation of  an  occasional  obscure  word.  After  a  Pen- 
manship period  or  the  like,  arranged  for  the  purpose  of 
resting  the  children's  minds,  there  follows  the  penetra- 
tion and  application  of  the  story  presented  on  the  day 
previous,  which  meanwhile  has  been  studied  by  the 
children  at  home.  A  period  as  provided  by  the  curricu- 
lum of  the  Grammar  school,  and  the  singing  of  a  hymn, 
brings  the  forenoon  to  a  close.  The  afternoon  is  entirely 
devoted  to  branches  of  study  prescribed  by  the  curri- 
culum of  the  public  school.  On  the  next  day  instruction 
in  the  Catechism  takes  the  place  of  Biblical  History.  The 
opening  with  song  and  prayer  is  followed  by  a  recitation 
in  unison  of  the  whole  Chief  Part  of  which  a  part  on  that 
day  is  to  be  treated  in  detail.  In  this  the  teacher  will 
insist  upon  scrupulously  exact,  precisely  articulated,  but 
at  the  same  time  euphonious,  speaking.  Then  comes  the 
drill  in  the  lesson  of  the  previous  Catechism  period,  to 
be  followed  at  once  by  the  new  catechization.  The  re- 
hearsal of  the  material  to  be  memorized  is  connected 
with  penetration  and  application  (Biblical  History),  or 
with  the  drill  (Catechism).  The  preparation  for  the 
new  material  to  be  memorized  is  connected  with  presen- 


Method  and  Period  599 

tation  (Biblical  History),  or  with  the  new  catechization 
(Catechism).  Should  one  say,  This  arrangement  does 
not  allow  a  successful  covering  of  the  secular  studies 
prescribed  by  the  regular  curriculum  of  the  public  school, 
we  answer  from  our  own  experience  and  that  of  many 
others  that  this  is  not  the  case.  In  rural  districts  par- 
ents often  are  satisfied  if  their  children  finish  Gram- 
mar school  a  year  or  so  later.  In  this  case  instruction 
in  Biblical  History  and  Catechism  can  be  given  on  each 
school-day — one  in  the  forenoon,  one  in  the  afternoon, 
and  the  remaining  hours  can  successfully  be  devoted 
to  written  work  based  upon  the  religious  lesson,  to  Bible 
reading,  Bible  Geography,  Church  History,  hymn  drill 
and  explanation. 

The  curriculum  for  the  Saturday  and  summer  school 
has  already  been  determined  (p.  481  f.).  In  the  regular 
parish  school  instruction  will  follow  the  same  general 
lines  as  in  the  partial  parish  or  catechumen  school. 
For  the  Sunday  school  the  following  order  is  recom- 
mended:  1.  Liturgical  opening;  2.  the  leader  tells  the 
whole  Sunday  school  or,  at  least,  the  whole  Second 
Course  (children  from  7 — 12  years  of  age),  the  new 
story  as  clearly  as  possible,  brings  in  at  the  proper  place 
the  material  to  be  memorized,  and  lets  the  presentation 
distinctly  issue  in  the  golden  text  or  the  principal  hymn 
stanza.  3.  Thereupon  the  pupils  retire  with  their  teach- 
ers into  their  respective  class-rooms,  where  the  story 
that  had  been  presented  by  the  leader  is  read  from  the 
Biblical  History  and  the  material  to  be  committed  to 
memory  repeatedly  rehearsed  (speaking  in  unison!); 
thereupon  the  teacher  reviews  the  lesson  of  the  previous 
Sunday  by  means  of  the  review  questions  appended  to 
the   lesson ;    4.  Finally,    the   whole    school    with   all   its 


600  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

teachers  assembles  again,  and  the  service  is  concluded 
according  to  the  liturgy. — The  Young  People's  Society 
has  adopted  an  order  of  services  with  its  constitution : 
a  hymn,  prayer,  the  Bible  lesson  with  informal  conversa- 
tion, hymn,  lecture  with  discussion,  closing  hymn — these 
are  the  fundamental  features  generally  observed. 

38.     Method  and  Man. 

Augustinus,  De  catechizandis  rudibus,  compare  ch.  7. — G. 
v.  Zezschwitz  II,  2\  §  30  and  31,  1869.— Th.  Harnack,  Kateche- 
tik,  pp.  114—118,  1881.— F.  Zange  pp.  46—57,  1897.— A.  Eckert, 
pp.  175—195,  1899.— J.  Be*ndt,  pp.  73—78.  1909.— E.  Chr.  Achelis, 
pp.  345—356,  1911. 

But  what  kind  of  man  should  the  catechist  be,  if 
the  imbedding  and  anchoring  of  the  catechetical  mate- 
rial in  the  intellectual  life  of  the  catechumen,  the  arous- 
ing of  his  interest  and  his  guidance  in  the  paths  in  which 
the  Spirit,  in  due  time,  shall  arouse  him  to  personal  faith 
(p.  312)  is  to  be  the  successful  issue  of  his  catechetical 
efforts?  While  much  that  has  been  said  in  the  second 
part  of  this  book  might  be  resumed  here  (pp.  219 — 303), 
some  features  of  superlative  importance  remain  to  be 
pointed  out.  What  has  been  said  in  regard  to  method 
finds  its  supplement  in  what  is  here  said  about  the  person 
of  the  catechist. 

The  first  requirement  of  the  catechist  is  a  good  edu- 
cation. Theological  education  first  of  all.  That  he 
knows  better  and  more  accurately  than  the  young  what 
things  are  to  be  taught,  is  not  sufficient ;  there  must  be 
mastery  of  the  material ;  that  is,  it  should  be  known  in 
its  organic  connection  and  be  a  real  mental  possession, 
so  that  all  details  may  be  given  in  their  central  bear- 
ings. Only  one  who  has  a  systematic  comprehension 
of  Christian  doctrine  is  able  to   recognize  the  relative 


•     Method  and  Man  601 

unimportance  or  importance  of  any  doctrine ;  only  he 
is  conversant  with  the  threads  that  connect  the  indi- 
vidual doctrine  with  the  sum  of  truth ;  nothing-  is  view- 
ed by  him  singly,  but  always  as  a  part  of  the  whole. 
Where  systematic  training  is  absent  the  catechist  will 
lose  himself  in  the  mass  of  detail;  will  not  know  which 
point  to  make  central  to  his  question ;  nor  shall  he  be 
able  to  rate  the  answers  according  to  their  content.  He 
stumbles  from  one  embarrassment  into  the  other,  and 
impresses  one  as  a  man  who  has  no  sure  ground  under 
his  feet.  He  who  would  be  an  efficient  catechist  should 
accordingly  study  dogmatics.  While  it  is  perfectly  true 
that  catechetical  instruction  should  never  bear  a  dog- 
matical complexion,  it  is  just  as  true  that  the  safe  foun- 
dation required  for  instruction  is  an  outgrowth  of  a  dili- 
gent study  of  dogmatics  :  what  the  spine  is  to  the  human 
body,  dogmatics  is  to  catechetical  instruction.  But  in- 
asmuch as  all  his  teaching  material  should  be  based 
upon  Scripture,  and  catechetical  material  has  been  taken 
from  Scripture,  the  continued  study  of  dogmatics  should 
be  accompanied  by  a  pursuit  of  exegesis.  Only  as  he 
goes  down,  again  and  again,  into  the  sea  of  redemptive 
truth  gathered  in  the  Bible,  does  his  instruction  pos- 
sess the  required  vigor  and,  with  all  freedom,  the  stamp 
of  noble  dependence.  Alongside  of  theological  educa- 
tion dialectic  versatility  is  required.  The  development 
and  the  drill  particularly  are  dialectic  exercises.  But 
the  dialectic  process  has  to  be  learned  and  practiced. 
The  laws  that  control  thinking  have  to  be  understood, 
if  one  wishes  to  think  logically  himself  and  teach  others 
to  do  likewise;  the  mind  has  to  acquire  the  necessary 
agility  and  alertness.  Attentive  hearing  of  model  cate- 
chizations.  and,  wherever  that  is  possible,  diligent  study 


602  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

of  good  printed  catechizations  is,  in  addition  to  the  study 
of  logic,  the  best  aid  in  the  acquisition  of  dialectic  skill. 
The  beginner  had  best  put  down  his  catechizations  in 
writing;  even  the  mature  catechist  should  not  shrink 
from  mentally  fixing  the  outline  of  the  catechization — 
according  to  its  main  and  minor  points.  While  this 
is  desirable  from  the  viewpoint  of  dialectic  clearness 
and  skill,  it  is  even  more  so  from  that  of  the  import- 
ance and  responsibility  of  such  instruction.  Finally,  the 
main  results  of  the  psychological  science  should  not  be 
foreign  to  the  catechist;  by  constantly  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  psychic  life  of  the  children  he  will  make 
his  task  easier  for  himself  and  more  successful. 

The  second  requirement  to  be  met  by  the  catechist 
is  love  to  the  children.  The  heart  of  the  child,  and  that 
of  the  adult  catechumen  likewise,  is  hungry  for  love ; 
and  love  is  what  the  catechist  owes  his  pupil  as  a  Chris- 
tian, still  more  as  a  trainer.  Without  love,  the  training 
effort  is  without  a  soul.  To  be  sure,  the  love  here  spoken 
of  cannot  be  that  earthly,  effeminate,  spineless  love 
which  rates  the  children  according  to  their  several  de- 
grees of  endowment  and  rank,  becomes  extremely  par- 
tial in  consequence,  and,  for  this  reason,  arouses  in  the 
pupils  envy,  jealousy,  and  a  feeling  of  being  slighted. 
The  love  of  which  we  speak  is  rather  that  which  is 
brought  to  bear  upon  all  alike  and  which  has  its  ground 
in  the  thought  that  they  are  children  of  God  that  have 
been  entrusted  to  him.  Such  love  is  not  accompanied 
by  blindness  to  the  sins  and  evil  propensities  of  a 
child ;  it  rather  clears  the  vision  to  see  them  and  gener- 
ates the  power  to  fight  them  with  irrepressible  deter- 
mination. Such  love  can  inflict  punishment — painful 
punishment ;  but  the  punishment  is  inflicted  for  the  pur- 


Method  and  Man  603 

pose  of  correction,  and  the  child  feels  in  large  measure 
the  love  that  inspires  the  grasp.  Though  the  severest 
reproof  be  administered,  and  even  corporal  punishment 
be  resorted  to — a  penalty  never  to  be  inflicted  except  in 
extreme  cases,  the  child  searches  for  love  in  the  eye  of 
its  monitor  nevertheless ;  and  when  it  is  beheld,  together 
with  sadness  over  the  necessity  of  administering  punish- 
ment, it  will  not  only  willingly  receive  the  chiding  but 
be  permanently  benefited  by  it.  Such  love  finds  the  tone 
that  reaches  the  heart ;  from  it  flows  that  "hilaritas"  al- 
ready demanded  by  Augustine,  the  counterpart  of  all 
acerbity  and  melancholy — a  ray  of  vernal  sunshine  in  the 
school-room.  Such  love  will  never  weary  of  descending 
to  the  intellectual  status  of  the  child  and  becoming  a 
child  among  children.  From  such  love  flows  that  faith- 
fulness which  does  not  cease  improving  one's  methods 
and  raising  the  instruction  to  a  higher  level  of  efficiency ; 
which  does  not  deem  it  something  beneath  itself  to  be  a 
teacher  of  children ;  which  works  with  gentleness  and 
humility  in  the  field  of  catechization,  though  the  oppor- 
tunity to  shine  before  men  is  utterly  absent  and  his 
effort  seldom  controlled  by  any  one,  knowing 
that  the  Church  is  blessed  by  his  labors ;  which 
does  not  permit  itself  to  be  embittered  or  to  be  turned 
aside  from  its  care  for  the  young  by  thoughtless  men ; 
which  always  bears  in  mind  the  future  of  the  Church, 
the  welfare  of  the  children,  and  the  importance  of 
youth,  when  the  spirit  can  be  molded  like  wax,  for  men's 
future  development,  and  conscientiously  "redeems"  it 
(Eph.  5,  16).  Such  love  will  not  forget  prayer  for  the 
catechumens,  least  of  all  for  the  frivolous  and  obstinate. 
The  third  requirement  is  a  believing  personality, 
sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit.     If  the  souls  of  the  chil- 


ö04  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

dren  are  to  yield  a  real  anchorage  to  those  sacred  truths  ; 
if  the  will  also  is  to  be  moved  by  them,  the  influence 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  intellect  through  a  clear  and 
intelligible  presentation  and  a  lucid  and  logically  cor- 
rect development  must  be  supplemented  by  a  stir  of 
the  feelings ;  for  the  way  to  the  will  is  found  only 
through  the  intellect  and  the  feelings.  Not  only  interest 
in  the  truth,  but  also  the  sympathetic,  ethical,  and  re- 
ligious interests,  for  which  the  feelings  serve  as  bearer, 
require  cultivation.  This,  to  be  sure,  is  already  in  a 
measure  accomplished  when  the  catechist,  during  the 
process  of  instruction,  brings  out  how  one  ought  to 
share  in  both  the  joy  and  the  grief  of  his  fellow-men. 
how  goodness  invariably  finds  its  reward,  and  wicked- 
ness its  punishment;  when  he  makes  the  souls  of  the 
catechumens  acquainted  with  the  characters  of  the  Bible 
and  of  Church  History — men  and  women  morally  holy, 
meek  in  the  presence  of  God,  upheld  by  faith  :  but  most 
powerfully  such  feelings  and  interests  are  aroused,  and 
most  enduringly  the  will  is  prompted  to  a  like  conduct 
when  all  this  is  surmounted  by  the  example  of  the  teach- 
er as  of  a  man  intent  upon  the  truth  alone,  full  of  sym- 
pathy for  whatever  of  grief  or  glee  befalls  his  fellow- 
men,  a  champion  of  the  right  and  quickened  by  sincere 
godliness.  There  is  a  movement  with  which  the  world 
of  pedagogy  is  now  astir,  which  advocates  the  axiom  : 
Religion  is  taught,  not  by  word,  but  by  example.  That 
is  a  dangerously  one-sided  truism,  and  undervaluation 
of  the  Word  and  of  knowledge,  a  slighting  of  the  his- 
toric side  of  the  Christian  religion;  but  the  element  of 
truth  in  this  movement,  that,  in  the  achievement  of  en- 
during effects,  felt  also  by  the  will,  the  living  example  of 
the  teacher   whose  life  is  an  embodiment  of  Christianity. 


Method  and  Man  605 

is  necessary — this  is  a  fact  hardly  capable  of  exaggera- 
tion. All  strictness  of  discipline,  all  didactic  accuracy 
and  punctiliousness,  all  dialectic  skill  and  faithfulness 
in  preparation,  will  prove  utterly  inadequate  where  such 
personal  influence  is  lacking;  where  the  children  are 
not  made  to  feel  that  what  the  teacher  offers  to  them 
appears  precious,  holy,  important  also  to  him — is,  in 
truth,  the  greatest  treasure  and  the  highest  norm  of  his 
life.  The  instruction  imparted  by  such  a  catechist  is 
never  dry  :  it  is  ever  fresh  and  vivid ;  for  everything  said 
by  him  is  constantly  fresh  born,  as  it  were,  from  his  life 
of  faith ;  a  grasping  of  truth  constantly  renewed ;  a 
subjection  to  the  Word  willing  and  incessant.  They  are 
not  empty  formulas  which  he  handles  like  lifeless  tools ; 
facts  and  verities  the}'  are  to  which  the  soul  draws  near 
for  sustenance !  Many  a  thing  once  upon  a  time  ushered 
into  the  soul  of  the  child  through  careful  development 
may  be  forgotten  when  the  graciously  earnest  and  gen- 
uinely godly  form  of  the  old  teacher  and  shepherd  still 
abides  in  the  memory  as  a  vital  force.  Such  a  teacher 
cannot  fail  to  secure  and  maintain  that  degree  of  au- 
thority over  the  children  which  is  his  due.  Little  need 
will  he  have  for  pains  and  penalties  to  enforce  authority : 
his  very  presence  and  attitude  will  fascinate  the  obe- 
dient children  and  impel  the  obedience  of  the  others. 
Without  exception  they  will  all  feel :  Here  stands  one 
who  has  the  right  to  teach  us ;  for  he  does  not  teach 
what  he  himself  fails  to  believe  and  to  make  the  standard 
of  his  conduct :  a  Johannine  personality  is  he ;  to  lead 
us  to  Christ  is  his  aim. 

Finally,  the  catechist  as  well  as  the  homilist  should 
have  a  living  faith  in  the  creative  power  of  the  Word 
of  God,  which  is  the  merchandise  and  tool  of  his  trade 


606  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

(Matth.  13,  33:  Rom.  1,  16;  2  Cor.  2,  15—17).  Like- 
wise he  should  possess  that  patience  and  perseverance 
which  can  wait  until  the  Word  of  God  imbedded  in  the 
heart  begins  to  stir  and  reveals  its  vital  power,  saving 
or  judging  (Mark  4,  26—29).  It  is  this  thought  of  the 
divine  power  in  the  Gospel ;  of  the  receptivity  of  the 
catechumens  in  the  time  of  their  youth;  of  Baptism, 
through  which  those  children  objectively  became  chil- 
dren of  God ;  and  of  the  transcendent  importance  of  his 
labors  for  the  future  of  the  Church,  which,  again  and 
again,  fills  the  catechist  with  strength  and  cheer  for  his 
calling.  And  the  same  thought  tides  him  over  the  fail- 
ure which,  upon  more  occasions  than  one,  confronts 
him. 

This  is  the  ideal.  A  zealous  suppliant  at  the  hea- 
venly Father's  feet  shall  reach  it  more  and  more.  He 
shall  be  enabled  rightly  to  anchor  in  the  whole  inner  life 
of  the  young  those  holy  truths  which  sustain  the  life  of 
the  mature  congregation,  to  arouse  an  interest  therein 
and  desire  for  participation  in  the  divine  services,  so 
that,  when  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  His  own  time  and  hour, 
arouses  them  to  faith  by  means  of  those  sacred  truths 
or  of  a  renewed  presentation  of  the  Word,  they  shall 
be  able  to  exercise  their  rights  and  duties  as  members 
of  the  mature  congregation. 

PRACTICAL  EXAMPLES.*) 

1.     Instruction  in   Biblical   History. 

1.  PREPARATION:     a)   Aim:     We  would  learn  today  how 
God  created  the  world  and  all  that  is  therein. 

Children,    how    beautiful    is    this    world    in    which   we    live! 


*)  Where  the  name  of  the  writer  is  not  given,  they  are  by  the 
author.  We  purposely  give  not  only  models  after  which  to  pattern,  but 
also  some  which  are  designed  to  evoke  criticism. 


Practical  Examples  607 

Which  season  of  the  year  do  you  like  the  best?  Yes,  spring- 
time is  the  most  beautiful.  Why  do  we  like  this  season  best? 
Certainly,  because  everything  again  becomes  fresh  and  green. 
The  snow  melts,  the  grass  grows  in  the  meadows,  the  trees  shoot 
out  their  leaves,  the  flowers  blossom,  and  the  birds  return  again 
with  their  songs.  How  did  nature  appear  in  winter?  Yes, 
and  the  snow  was  like  the  white  cover  which  is  placed  over 
a  corpse.  Then  what  happened  to  all  nature,  apparently  dead? 
It  was  as  though  born  again — like  a  new  creation.  What  do  we 
dislike  to  do  when  everything  outside  looks  so  fresh  and  in- 
viting? The  house  seems  too  small,  and  we  eagerly  hasten 
out  of  doors,  breathe  deeply  of  the  balmy  air,  and  vie  with  the 
birds  in  their  joyful  song.  There  is  a  song  about  May  mak- 
ing all  things  new.  Perhaps  you  have  heard  it.  The  Bible  ex- 
presses it  somewhat  differently,  and  with  it  one  can  say  :  "Old 
things  are  passed  away;  behold,  all  things  are  become  new". 
Who  makes  everything  so  new  and  fresh  and  beautiful  in 
spring-time?  Correct,  Frank;  we  could  never  have  caused 
snow  and  ice  to  disappear.  But  the  almighty  Lord  has  done 
this.  He  let  the  sun  shine  more  warmly,  which  caused  the 
ice  to  break,  the  snow  to  melt,  the  grass  to  grow,  the  flowers  to 
bloom  and  all  things  to  become  like  new.  God  does  this  every 
year,  but  there  was  once  a  time  when  He  did  much  more. — 
He  created  this  great,  beautiful  world  out  of  nothing.  That 
was  His  first  act.  We  could  not  cause  the  smallest  blade 
of  grass  to  grow  or  call  the  tiniest  grain  of  sand  into  being, 
but  God  made  heaven  and  earth — this  entire  world,  out  of  noth- 
ing. We  would  learn  about  this  today — how  God  made  heaven 
and   earth   and   everything  that   therein   is. 

b)  Aim:  How  the  Savior  once  helped  His  disciples  on  Lake 
Gennesareth. 

Who  of  you  has  ever  seen  a  lake?  Well,  you  have  cer- 
tainly seen  a  pond.  The  Lake  of  Gennesareth  is  eleven  or 
twelve  miles  long  and  about  six  miles  wide.  It  is  very  deep, 
and  its  waters  reflect  the  blue  of  the  sky.  If  one  wished  to  go 
from  one  shore  to  the  other,  he  had  to  take  a  boat.  Who  of 
you  has  ridden  in  a  boat?  Tell  the  others  about  it.  At  the  time 
of  which  our  lesson  speaks  there  were  no  steamships  or  gaso- 
line launches,  but  only  sailing  vessels.  A  large  cloth  was 
raised  on  a  mast,  and  the  wind  blowing  against  the  cloth  moved 


608  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  boat.  Picture  of  a  boat  on  the  Lake  of  Gennesareth.  Today 
we  shall  hear  how  Jesus  was  once  on  the  Lake  of  Gennesareth, 
and  helped  His  disciples  out  of  a  very  great  trouble. — Fank- 
hauser,  page  55. 

c)  Aim:  How  the  Lord  Jesus  should  be  brought  to  a 
child  sick  unto  death. 

A  child  "sick  unto  death" — what  does  that  mean?  You  have 
seen  a  sick  child.  But  have  you  ever  seen  a  child  "sick  unto 
death"?  What  kind  of  child  is  that? — It  is  a  child  so  sick  that 
it  must  die.  Is  that  not  terrible?  I  have  known  children  who 
were  so  sick  that  they  could  not  get  well,  but  had  to  die.  Have 
you  ever  seen  or  heard  of  such?  What  was  the  matter?  "One 
had  scarlet  fever".  What  did  the  poor  parents  do?  (Sent  for 
the  doctor.)  What  did  the  doctor  do?  (Watched  the  child, 
examined  it,  wrote,  a  prescription.)  Why  did  he  do  all  that? — 
Would  that  make  the  child  better? — (Sometimes, — but  not  al- 
ways.) I  used  the  expression  "poor  parents".  Why  did  I  call 
them  so?  (They  are  in  great  trouble  and  very  sad.)  What  does 
the  mother  do?  (She  sits  at  the  child's  bedside.)  And  when 
the  father  comes  home,  is  he  concerned?  Then  father  and  moth- 
er look  sadly  at  each  other ;  and  as  the  child  grows  worse,  they 
think  more  of  the  only  one  who  can  help  when  the  doctor's 
skill  is  helpless.  Who  is  that?  And  what  will  father  and 
mother  then  do?  (They  will  fold  their  hands  and  pray  to  the 
dear  Lord.)  "Let  our  dear  child  live,  make  it  well" — so  will 
they  pray.  They  want  to  bring  God,  Jesus  Christ  the  Savior 
to  their  child  that  is  sick  unto  death.  Today  we  would  hear  how 
a  father  brought  the  Lord  Jesus  to  his  child  which  was  at 
death's  door. — H.  Spanuth,  Praeparationen  fuer  den  Religions- 
unterricht. LTnterstufe,  21910  (according  to  the  method  of 
"construction"). 

d)  Aim:  How  Jesus  raised  His  friend  Lazarus  from  the 
dead. 

Two  weeks  ago  a  man  of  our  congregation  died,  whom  all 
of  you  knew.  Who  was  it?  Body  and  soul  were  separated  from 
each  other,  and  that  we  call  death.  Where  do  the  souls  of 
pious  persons  go?  Where  is  the  body  placed?  Yes,  it  is  placed 
in  a  coffin  and  then  taken  to  the  church  where  the  person  when 
alive  so  often  worshiped:  after  that  it  is  taken  to  the  ceme- 
tery.    What  is  then  done?     Oh,  that  is  a  small,  narrow  room! 


Practical  Examples  609 

It  makes  no  difference  how  rich  or  how  poor,  how  famous  or 
unknown,  all — all  must  go  to  the  grave.  Death  is  like  an  un- 
feeling reaper  who  with  his  keen  sickle  mows  clown  everything 
in  his  way,  He  lays  all  in  the  grave.  How  do  we  make  graves? 
In  eastern  lands  caves  were  used  as  burial  places ;  sometimes 
these  were  natural  caves,  formed  by  nature,  but,  more  often, 
caves  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  The  dead  were  laid  in  these 
underground  rooms.  Grandfather,  father  and  son,  besides  many 
others  were  laid  side  by  side  in  the  chamber  of  rock.  Who  once 
upon  a  time  bought  such  a  family  tomb?  Who  was  the  first 
one  whom  Abraham  laid  therein?  Who  was  the  next?  And 
the  next,  etc.?  We  heard  a  short  while  ago  of  another  man  who 
bought  for  himself  and  family  such  a  tomb.  Whom  do  I 
mean?  Who  was  the  first  to  be  laid  in  this  sepulchre?  Among 
us  the  dead  are  laid  in  the  earth,  and  covered  with  earth; 
hence  we  use  a  casket  with  a  cover  or  lid.  What  is  done  with 
the  lid  before  the  casket  is  lowered  into  the  grave?  Of  course, 
we  have  another  protection  for  the  casket,  which  likewise  has 
a  lid.  Why?  We  do  not  wish  to  bury  a  human  being  like  a 
beast,  which  one  simply  throws  into  a  hole  and  covers  with 
soil.  We  do  everything  possible  to  keep  the  bodv  as  long  as  we 
can.  especially  if  the  departed  was  near  and  dear  to  us.  In 
the  East  neither  the  casket  nor  lid  was  used.  The  corpse  was 
wrapped  in  a  large  white  cloth  with  sweet  smelling  spices,  in 
order  that  any  odor  from  the  corpse  might  be  killed ;  the  body 
was  placed  upon  a  bier,  and  so  carried  to  the  tomb.  What  was 
done  in  order  that  wild  beasts  might  not  find  their  way  to  the 
body?  Where  is  it  plainly  stated  that  a  great  stone  was  rolled 
to  the  door  of  the  sepulcher?  We  also  do  something  that  no 
animals  get  into  the  place  where  our  dead  lie.  What  is  it?  We 
fence  them  in.  that  our  departed  ones  may  rest  in  peace,  un- 
disturbed. What  should  you  therefore  not  do  when  you  go  into 
a  cemetery?  It  is  a  place  of  rest  and  peace,  which  should  not 
be  disturbed  by  loud  talking  or  unseemly  noise.  When  you 
go  to  the  cemetery,  then  think  of  your  grandfather  or  grand- 
mother, of  father  or  mother,  or  of  others  who  lie  there.  Their 
bodies  sleep  beneath  the  sod  and  wait  for  the  great  resurrection 
day.  What  do  we  believe  as  Christians?  Do  we  know  when 
that  shall  be  here?  But  this  we  know,  that  Christ  will  some  time 
come  again  and  all  the  dead  shall  arise.     Then  our  graveyards 


610  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

will  be  as  full  of  life  as  they  now  are  filled  with  the  stillness  of 
death.  Can  the  Lord  Jesus  really  call  the  dead  to  life?  He 
can  do  so  because  He  is  almighty.  We  would  hear  today 
how  Jesus  raised  His  friend  Lazarus  from  the  dead. 

e)  Aim:  We  learn  how  the  most  furious  persecutor  of  the 
Christians  is  overcome. 

The  Sanhedrin  has  resolved  to  persecute  the  Christians. 
Through  the  agency  of  Saul,  Stephen  is  condemned  and  stoned. 
The  Christians  flee  from  Jerusalem,  for  Saul  rages  against  them. 
Will  their  life  or,  at  least,  their  freedom  be  in  danger  outside  the 
capital  city?  Will  their  persecutors  follow  them  into  Samaria, 
Galilee,  Syria,  Damascus?  Saul,  the  most  violent  of  all  their 
enemies,  will  seek  them  there.  He  thinks  especially  of  Damas- 
cus ;  for  many  have  fled  thither  who  hold  to  the  faith  that 
Jesus  Christ,  crucified  and  risen,  is  the  only  way  to  salvation. 
But  how  shall  Saul  find  entrance  into  Damascus,  and  who  will 
give  him  the  right  to  work  against  the  Christians?  He  has 
provided  for  that;  for  he  has  letters  to  the  authorities  of  Dam- 
ascus which  tell  who  he  is,  whence  he  comes,  what  he  wants, 
that  lie  comes  in  the  name  of  the  Sanhedrin,  and  that  the  au- 
thorities should  co-operate  with  him  against  the  Christians. 
These  letters  will  open  all  the  doors  of  Damascus  to  him. 
Thus  equipped,  he  goes  thither.  Will  he  be  successful?  If  so, 
Christianity  shall  soon  be  exterminated.  Or  will  God  hinder 
and  overcome  the  evil  intent  of  His  enemies?  He  will;  for 
His  name  shall  be  made  holy  and  His  kingdom  shall  come. 
How  shall  this  be  done?  We  hear  how  He  overcomes  Saul,  the 
most  furious  persecutor  of  the  Christians,  on  his  way  to  Dam- 
ascus. 

2.  PRESENTATION,  a)  The  Stilling  of  the  Storm  (nar- 
rated in  sections  for  small  children). 

1.  The  Pleasant  Voyage.  The  Lord  Jesus  frequently  sailed 
with  His  disciples  upon  the  Sea  of  Gennesaret,  not  for  plea- 
sure, but  to  preach  to  the  people  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea. 
(Show  map.)  Sailing  over  the  waters  is  far  more  pleasant  than 
travelling  by  wagon  or  railroad.  There  is  no  jolting  or  bump- 
ing. One  glides  gently  and  smoothly  to  his  destination.  Some- 
times the  boat  rocks  gently  as  a  cradle,  and  one  is  easily  lulled 
to  sleep.  On  this  occasion  the  Lord  Jesus  had  worked  hard  all 
dav.     What  had  He  done?     Walked  much,  preached,  healed  the 


Practical  Examples  611 

sick.  When  you  have  walked  to  school  and  have  studied  hard 
there,  you  are  tired  when  evening  comes  and  easily  fall  asleep. 
Jesus  was  tired,  and  when  the  boat  went  gently  gliding  through 
the  water  and  the  cool  breeze  fanned  His  cheeks,  He  soon  fell 
asleep.  He  lay  in  the  back  part  of  the  ship  with  His  head  upon 
a  pillow.  What  do  you  do  when  you  come  into  the  house  and 
see  your  little  brother  or  your  grandmother  peacefully  sleep- 
ing? You  tread  lightly  and  gently  close  the  door,  because  you 
love  the  sleeping  one  and  do  not  wish  to  disturb  his  slumbers. 
The  disciples  acted  in  the  same  way.  They  loved  the  Lord 
Jesus  and  wanted  Him  to  have  His  rest.  They  were  careful 
and  did  not  talk  loudly  or  laugh,  lest  they  should  awaken  Him. 
Thus  they  sailed  on  through  the  golden  sunshine.  It  was  a  de- 
lightful voyage.  Now  I  shall  briefly  tell  you  the  story  just  as 
it  stands  in  the  Bible,  and  you  may  repeat  it  to  me.  Com- 
posite narrative:     Matth.  8,  23.  24;  Luke  8,  22.  23. 

2.  The  Storm  and  the  Danger.  Now  I  desire  to  tell  you 
how  the  Lord  Jesus  helped  His  disciples.  Can  I  help  you 
when  you  are  playing?  No,  but  if  you  have  fallen  into  the 
brook,  then  I  can  help  you.  When  things  go  wrong  help  is 
necessary.  But  how  could  matters  have  gone  wrong  with  the 
disciples?  This  morning  before  Sunday  school  I  showed  you 
the  watering  trough.  The  water  was  smooth  as  a  mirror,  but 
when  you  blew  upon  it,  it  became  rough  with  waves.  On  the 
Lake  of  Gennesaret  the  wind  came  suddenly  and  blew  strong- 
ly, much  worse  than  all  of  you  blowing  together.  Besides,  the 
Lake  of  Gennesaret  is  many  thousand  times  larger  than  a 
watering  trough.  The  waves  rolled  high — as  high  as  a  house. 
What  happened  to  the  little  ship?  It  was  tossed  to  and  fro 
like  the  nut-shell  in  the  watering  trough.  It  was  no  longer 
pleasant  in  the  boat.  Perhaps  you  have  ridden  in  a  wagon 
when  the  horse  became  frightened  and  wild.  So  the  disciples 
became  fearful.  It  seemed  as  if  their  boat  must  be  upset  and 
they  must  drown.  They  let  the  sail  down  and  bailed  the  water 
out.  They  had  to  hold  fast  to  keep  from  being  thrown  into  the 
angry  sea.  Dark  clouds,  thunder  and  lightning,  the  raging- 
sea. — all  threatened  death  every  minute.  That  was  an  hour 
of  great  need.  Composite  narrative:  Matth.  8,  24;  Mark  4. 
37;  Luke  8,  23.     Repetition  by  the  children  as  in  first  part. 

3.  The  mighty  Helper.    What  do  you  think?     I  wonder  that 


612  The  Method  of  Religions  Instruction 

the  Savior  did  not  awake.  But  He  peacefully  slept.  The  dis- 
ciples saw  only  the  storm  and  the  waves,  and  in  their  fear  and 
anxiety  forgot  that  Jesus  was  with  them,  else  they  would  have 
thought :  He  can  help  us,  for  He  has  done  many  other  wonder- 
ful things,  healed  the  leper,  the  man  with  the  dropsy  and  the 
like.  But  they  did  not  think  of  that.  They  did  not  believe  that 
Jesus  would  certainly  see  that  they  should  not  perish.  They 
had  a  weak  faith,  only  a  little  faith  in  the  Savior.  Finally  they 
aroused  Him.  What  should  they  have  said?  They  cried:  Mas- 
ter, Master,  we  perish !  The  Savior  arose  and  rebuked  them, 
saying  :  "Why  are  ye  fearful,  O  ye  of  little  faith  !"  If  you  had 
only  believed  that  so  long  as  I  am  with  you  the  ship  could  not 
sink,  you  would  not  have  been  so  fearful.  And  now  the  Savior 
helps.  How?  By  bailing  out  water?  By  steering  to  the 
shore?  Oh,  no!  Listen:  "Then  He  arose,  and  rebuked  the 
winds  and  the  sea.  and  there  was  a  great  calm".  Could  any 
one  else  have  done  that?  No  one,  no  teacher,  no  king,  no 
emperor.  Had  we  been  there,  we  should  have  regarded  Him 
in  wonder  and  amazement.  "But  the  men  marvelled,  saying. 
What  manner  of  man  is  this,  that  even  the  winds  and  the  sea 
obey  Him?"  Composite  narrative:  Matth.  8,  25 — 27;  Mark  4. 
38 — 41 :  Luke  8,  24.  25.  and  repetition  by  class. — Recital  and 
repetition  by  class  of  the  entire  story  in  the  words  of  Scripture. 
— Fankhauser,  page  55  ff. 

1))  Zaccheus  the  Publican.  It  was  a  week  before  Easter, 
and  the  streets  of  Jericho  were  filled  all  the  day  long  with 
people  coming  from  the  North  to  go  to  Jerusalem  to  celebrate 
the  festival  of  Easter.  Naturally,  the  people  of  the  town  did 
not  remain  in  their  houses,  but  went  out  on  the  street ;  and  if 
time  permitted,  walked  as  far  as  the  city  gates  in  order  to  see 
and  exchange  speech  with  the  pilgrims.  In  his  booth  by  the 
city  gate  sat  Zaccheus,  the  chief  tax-gatherer  of  the  town. 
During  these  busy  days  he  had  to  be  constantly  at  the  gate  and 
have  his  eyes  everywhere.  He  was  small  of  stature,  well-fed 
and  well  dressed.  The  tax  collectors  under  him  worked  in 
silence,  for  the,y  did  not  like  his  presence  there.  The  rich  man 
who,  like  they  themselves,  was  hated  by  the  people  because  he 
made  the  taxes  too  high  and  loaned  out  money  at  too  high  rates 
of  interest,  had  acted  for  some  time  as  though  he  cared  but 
little   for   his   fine   business   and  had  to  force  himself  to  attend 


Practical  Examples  613 

to  it.  Moreover,  he  hung  his  head  as  if  he  were  really  ashamed 
before  the  Pharisees  and  other  people  who  looked  down  upon 
the   publicans.     It   was  not   pleasant   when  he  was   about. 

Zaccheus  also  worked  in  silence,  but  he  was  not  as  deeply 
engrossed  with  his  accounts  as  in  former  times.  Again  and 
again  he  stopped  to  listen  to  the  talk  of  the  passers-by.  and 
often  he  grew  troubled.  Why  did  they  all  mention  one  name 
that  caused  his  heart  to  stand  still?  He  heard  it  again:  -The 
Prophet  of  Nazareth".  "Jesus  the  Nazarene".  Was  He  coming 
to  the  Easter  festival,  and  did  they  expect  Him  at  the  gates 
of  Jericho?  Zaccheus  was  worried,  for  he  had  suffered  for  quite 
a  while  because  of  that  name.  A  wanderer  from  Galilee  had 
once  come  while  he  was  dealing  with  a  poor  debtor,  and  had 
spoken  to  him  so  earnestly  and  scornfully :  Have  you  never 
heard  what  the  Prophet  of  Nazareth  teaches  :  "What  shall 
it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own 
soul?"  That  word  had  struck  deep  into  his  soul,  and  since  that 
time  he  had  asked  more  than  one  traveller  about  the  Prophet. 
so  that  by  this  time  he  had  a  good  idea  of  Him  and  knew  much 
about  His  teachings  and  miracles.  So  it  came  that,  more  and 
more,  he  felt  himself  to  be  hateful  and  filthy  and  mean  in 
comparison  with  Jesus,  and  had  begun  to  hate  his  calling, 
which  made  him  rich  through  its  dishonest  dealings.  But  he 
could  not  give  up  his  fine  clothing,  expensive  furniture,  soft 
bed,  rich  wines  and  luxurious  meals.  He  could  not  cut  him- 
self loose  from  these;  and  besides,  what  would  his  wife  and 
children  say  if  they  suddenly  found  themselves  deprived  of  all 
their  luxuries  and  were  compelled  to  live  as  frugally  as  ordi- 
nary working  people.  It  would  simply  not  do  : — such  had  been 
his  difficulties  for  quite  a  while.  The  pencil  shook  in  his  hand  :— 
a  little  while  ago  he  had  ceased  writing,  for  his  thoughts  were 
far  from  his  work.  Then  from  out  the  babbling  multitude 
he  heard  once  more  the  name  of  Jesus.  He  listened  intently. 
Oh.  if  he  might  only  see  Him  once— the  good,  the  pure  One!  Per- 
haps it  would  help  him !  Then  he  heard  a  newcomer  greeted 
with  the  words  :  "Have  you  heard,  Matthew,  that  the  famous 
Nazarene  is  coming?"  "What— the  Prophet?"  Then  they  whis- 
pered, but  Zaccheus  caught  a  word  that  made  him  tremble. 
Did  they  not  speak  of  the  Messiah?  The  mocking  words  and 
laughter  of  another  came  to  him  :     "Messiah  !     I  must  say  that 


614  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

I  have  formed  a  different  opinion  of  Him — silver  trappings  and 
a  hundred  thousand  soldiers !  But  this  Galilean  prophet  with 
His  few  disciples — fishermen  and  women,  yes,  even  publicans 
and  sinners  !"  Zaccheus  listened  more  intently.  They  had  said 
of  the  Messiah  that  His  followers  were  publicans  and  sinners — 
publicans  and  sinners  like  he !  Then  he  must  see  Him !  Breath- 
ing deeply,  he  closed  his  book  and  left  the  gate,  while  his  under- 
lings sneered  and  scoffed  as  they  watched  him  depart. 

He  passed  as  quickly  as  possible  through  the  crowd,  stop- 
ping only  to  listen  when  he  heard  the  name  of  Jesus  mentioned. 
He  thus  learned  that  Jesus  was  expected  toward  evening. 
Reaching  his  home,  he  walked  restless  to  and  fro.  He  felt 
that  the  greatest  hour  of  his  life  had  come.  His  wife  became 
anxious  as  she  saw  him  thus,  and  finally  laid  her  hand  upon 
his  shoulder  and  asked:  "What  troubles  you?"  Then  he  told 
her  as  well  as  he  could  what  he  knew  of  Jesus,  and  his  desire 
to  see  Him.  She  trembled  and  folded  her  hands,  with  a  pre- 
monition that  this  day  might  bring  a  great  change  into  her  life. 
After  a  little  Zaccheus  went  out.  He  had  clothed  himself  in 
his  finest  garments,  not  for  show,  but  in  honor  of  the  Prophet. 
The  streets  were  crowded,  and  with  difficulty  he  made  his  way 
to  the  gate.  There  the  multitude  was  greater.  All  Jericho  was 
there,  and  besides,  the  Jerusalem  pilgrims  must  have  remained 
to  see  the  Prophet.  So  thickly  were  they  crowded  that  one 
might  think  a  king  was  coming.  Zaccheus  looked  doubtfully 
about  him.  He  was  hemmed  in  by  the  crowd  which  jostled 
him  with  their  elbows.  He  reached  only  to  their  shoulders. 
His  costly  clothing  was  already  torn,  and  it  was  impossible  for 
him  to  force  his  way  through  and  see.  Should  it  all  be  in 
vain?  Then  he  looked  up  and  saw  a  nut-tree  which  stood  on  the 
side  of  the  street  and  stretched  its  branches  wide  over  the 
crowd  He  was  only  a  few  steps  away  from  it,  but  it  caused 
him  much  effort  to  reach  it.  He  looked  at  the  slender  trunk; 
he  was  not  used  to  climbing;  but,  perhaps,  he  could  make  it. 
With  quick  decision  he  gathered  his  garments  about  him, 
grasped  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  began  to  climb. 

The  onlookers  laughed  loudly  at  the  sight  of  the  fat  little 
man  with  the  gold  bracelets  tearing  his  shimmering  yellow  and 
red  clothes  on  the  twigs  of  the  nut-tree.  One  of  them  recog- 
nized   him.      "Look    at    the    fat    publican    Zaccheus",    he    cried, 


Practical  Examples  615 

and  the  crowd  joined  with  him  in  his  jeering  laughter.  With 
flushed  and  perspiring  face  Zaccheus  reached  a  fork  where  he 
could  see.  His  long  hair  clung  to  his  face,  his  clothing  was 
dirty  and  torn;  his  white  hands  scratched  and  bleeding.  They 
mocked  him,  but  he  cared  not,  for  he  had  reached  his  goal  and 
could  see  the  One  he  so  ardently  desired  to  behold.  From  the 
distance  came  a  murmur  which  grew  to  a  subdued  roar  :  "He 
comes !  He  comes  I"  Zaccheus  quivered  with  excitement.  He 
pushed  back  his  long  hair  from  his  forehead,  and  felt  how  wet 
and  dirty  he  was.  But  what  mattered  that !  There  they  came— 
a  company  of  Galileans,  easily  recognized  by  their  dress.  Three 
men  went  in  advance,  and  the  one  in  the  middle— it  must  be  He! 
Such  eyes  full  of  spirit  and  power,  so  much  goodness  and  love 
in  the  lines  about  the  mouth— there  could  not  be  another  such 
in  the  whole  wide  world.  He  walked  so  modestly  and  humbly; 
He  did  not  look  about  Him;  and  yet  He  moved  like  a  king, 
and  every  one  must  think:  If  He  should  command,  all  would 
hasten  to  serve  Him.  They  had  drawn  near.  With  a  smile 
the  one  upon  His  left  touched  His  arm  and  pointed  out  the 
strange  little  man  who  looked  down  upon  them  with  burning 
gaze.  Those  about  Him  laughed,  and  an  insolent  youth  cried  : 
"Yes.  yes,  that  is  the  rich  publican  Zaccheus".  Zaccheus  flushed 
hot  with  shame,  and  his  eyes  grew  wet  with  tears.  Jesus  looked 
up  at  him  and  stopped.  He  stood  there  and  looked  straight 
into  the  eyes  of  the  trembling  man.  Then  He  said  in  friendly 
tones  :  "Come  down  quickly,  Zaccheus,  for  I  would  sup  with 
you".  Then  He  turned  and  went  on.  All  regarded  Zaccheus, 
but  none  of  them  laughed.  They  stared  with  wonder,  envy, 
astonishment  and  anger,  and  many  murmured :  "So,  He  will 
sup  with  that  sinner!"  Zaccheus  reached  his  home,  but  he  did 
not  know  what  had  happened  to  him  or  how  he  had  climbed 
down  the  tree  or  how  he  had  made  his  way  through  the  throng. 
Breathless  he  entered  his  house,  his  eyes  gleaming  like  stars 
in  his  flushed  dirty  countenance.  His  wife  hardly  recognized 
him.  She  regarded  him  with  mixed  fear  and  wonder  as  he 
embraced  her  and  stammered  :  "He— is— coming.— He— is— 
coming!"  "Who?— Who?"  "The  Prophet—Jesus  of  Nazareth 
is  coming  to  us  !"  "Then  let  me  go.  I  must  get  things  in  readi- 
ness", cried  his  wife  as  she  broke  from  him.  Should  she  not 
prepare  the  finest  of  food  and  beautify  her  home  with  the  most 


616  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

costly  of  her  possessions?  But — no!  Such  display  suddenly 
seemed  shameful.  Should  she  not  rather  hide  all  those  things, 
gained  by  so  much  wrong?  She  hurried  about  the  house.,  while 
Zaccheus  looked  about  him  in  bewilderment.  Then  some  one 
rapped,  and  Jesus  entered.  He  stepped  quickly  to  Zaccheus  and 
took  him  by  the  hand.  Forgotten  were  the  beauty  of  the  room, 
the  torn  clothes,  the  soiled  hands.  Everything — everything  was 
forgotten ;  for  beneath  the  gaze  of  those  eyes  he  could  feel 
but  one  thing — his  tremendous  debt, — the  great  penalty  which 
he  had  loaded  upon  himself  during  all  these  years.  And  now 
Jesus  had  come  to  him — He  did  not  despise  him :  No — he 
saw  it  all  clearly — Jesus  had  forgiven  him.  He  felt  small  and 
poor  and  rich  and  free  at  the  same  time — so  free— so  free! 
Jesus  had  forgiven  him!  Jesus  had  come  to  him!  The  burden 
of  his  life  fell  from  him  like  heavy,  sundered  chains.  No,  he 
could  no  longer  live  as  in  the  past.  That  was  impossible.  Then 
he  began  with  stammering  words  :  "Jesus — Master — the  half 
of  all  my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor;  and  if  I  have  taken  any 
thing  from  any  man  by  false  accusation,  I  restore  him  fourfold". 
Then  Jesus  pressed  his  hand  and  said  :  "This  day  is  salvation 
come  to  this  house".  "Salvation",  yes,  truly.  That  which  had 
tormented. — had  seemed  so  impossible  to  him.  was  now  all 
so  easy,  so  beautiful.  He  was  freed  from  his  burden,  because 
Jesus  had  come  to  him. — From  E,  and  O.  Zurhellen,  Wie  er- 
zaehlen  wir  den  Kindern  die  biblischen  Geschichten,  pp.  322  ff. 
— N.  B. !  We  are  by  no  means  of  the  opinion  that  Zurhellen's 
example  should  be  followed  without  modification.  He  takes  so 
much  for  granted  at  which  one  may  only  guess;  and  he  is  not 
always  simple  and  chaste  enough ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  one 
can  plainly  see  from  this  example  what  we  (^p.  523)  said  above 
about  the  motivation,  the  revealing  of  the  acting  person's 
thoughts,   and  portrayal-  of  the  origin  of  the   deed. 

3.  PENETRATION.  Zaccheus  the  Publican.  (Recapitula- 
tion, comparison,  and  application  are  here  combined  with  pene- 
tration.) 

Of  whom  have  we  spoken  in  this  story?  Of  Jesus  and 
Zaccheus.  We  wish  to  pay  the  chief  publican  two  imaginary 
visits.  First  we  would  see  about  Zaccheus  before  he  knew 
Christ.  We  go  to  Jericho  and  inquire  the  whereabouts  of  the 
house  of  Zaccheus.     All  know  h-im,  and  anv  one  can  show  the 


Practical  Examples  617 

way.  His  house  is  larger  and  finer  than  the  majority  of  houses 
in  the  town.  The  floors  are  covered  with  costly  rugs.  Along 
the  walls  are  low,  soft  couches.  Many  servants  come  and  go. 
All  this  costs  money — much  money.  But  money  is  plentiful  with 
the  chief  publican.  In  a  private  room  stands  a  large  chest  full 
of  gold.  Where  did  he  get  all  this?  We  shall  see  that  presently. 
His  underlings,  the  publicans,  come  to  him  and  he  gives  them  his 
orders.  ^  "You  must  get  money  for  me",  he  commands,  "much 
money.  For  every  hundred-weight  of  grain  that  goes  to  Jeru- 
salem I  want  a  penny,  for  every  bushel  of  raisins,  twenty  cents, 
and  for  every  yard  of  purple  a  half-penny".  He  knew  well 
that  it  was  from  two  to  four  times  more  than  the  emperor  de- 
manded ;  but  he  wanted  to  become  wealthy  and  more  wealthy, 
and  therefore  lie  did  not  care  how  much  he  demanded.  And 
when  the  people  complained  and  asked  :  "Is  the  tax  really  so 
much?",  his  tax  gatherers  were  instructed  to  answer,  "Yes.  so 
much".  What  do  you  think  of  that?  It  was  not  right.  That 
was  lying  and  cheating.  He  took  the  pople's  money  in  an  un- 
righteous manner.  Deception  is  as  wrong  as  theft.  The  pub- 
licans, however,  knew  that  they  must  obey;  for  if  they  brought 
their  master  too  little  money,  they  lost  their  positions.  So  they 
oppressed  the  people,  for  in  addition  to  what  their  master 
demanded,  they  took  a  little  for  themselves.  How  much  scold- 
ing and  cursing  must  have  been  done  at  the  counter  of  the 
publicans.  The  people  knew  that  they  were  being  robbed.  But 
what  did  Zaccheus  care  for  their  scolding  if  he  got  their  money! 
He  wanted  to  be  rich. 

Matters  went  favorably  for  the  chief  publican,  and  his  pos- 
sessions increased  from  day  to  day.  But  how  was  it  with  his 
heart?  Certainly,  not  well.  Wrhen  he  saw  the  poor  little  traders 
creep  by  with  their  thin,  heavily  laden  asses,  his  conscience 
must  surely  have  said  :  "Listen  !  It  is  not  right  that  you  op- 
press the  poor  in  order  to  enrich  youreslf  out  of  their  poverty". 
And  when  the  pious  Pharisees  went  by  with  looks  of  contempt, 
as  if  to  say:  "Miserable  publican  and  sinner", — that  also  hurt. 
So  he  had  no  true  pleasure  in  his  riches.  Perhaps  he  could 
not  even  sleep  in  peace,  because  those  whom  he  had  robbed 
walked  like  ghosts  before  him.  Thus  you  see  that  riches  do  not 
make  one  happy.  What  would  be  far  better?  A  good  con- 
science.    But  who  could  help  him  to  get  that?     The  Scribes  and 


618  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

Pharisees  despised  and  scorned  them.  If  they  had  gone  to  their 
schools  on  the  Sabbath  to  hear  God's  word,  they  would  have 
been  thrown  out.  They  would  have  been  told  :  "You  publicans 
and  sinners,  cheats  and  rogues,  enemies  of  your  people  and 
friends  of  the  Romans, — get  away  from  here !  You  have  no 
business  among  good  people,  and  our  God  has  rejected  you". 
The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  were  proud  and  hard  and  had  np 
mercy.  Poor  rich  Zaccheus !  This  is  what  we  see  on  our 
first  visit. 

After  a  while  we  pay  Zaccheus  another  visit.  How  different 
are  things  now  !  He  is  not  the  same  man.  His  body  has  not 
grown;  for  he  is  the  same  little,  fat  fellow.  But  things  have 
changed  in  his  heart.  One  can  see  that  in  his  face.  The  lines 
of  care  are  gone  from  his  brow  and  the  sad  look  has  disappear- 
ed. Calm  and  serene  is  his  countenance.  He  is  friendly  toward 
his  servants.  He  tells  them  to  send  to  him  immediately  every 
one  whom  they  learn  has  been  defrauded  by  him  or  them. 
Ere  long  a  brown  camel  driver  comes  to  him.  "Have  my  men 
ever  taken  too  much  money  from  you?"  "They  certainly  have, — 
many  a  time."  "How  much  would  the  entire  amount  be?" 
"Hm,  I  think  about  fifty  pence."  Then  the  chief  publican  opens 
his  desk  and  counts  two  hundred  bright  pence  before  the  won- 
dering man.  Why  so  much?  That  is  four  times  as  much  as  has 
been  taken.  "Is  that  satisfactory?"  The  man  hardly  knows 
what  has  happened  to  him.  Thus  one  after  the  other  comes  and 
goes.  The  chest  of  gold  has  grown  considerably  lighter.  You 
must  have  a  care,  Zaccheus,  else  all  your  plans  to  become  rich 
will  fail.     But  Zaccheus  acts  as  if  he  did  not  hear. 

In  the  evening  we  behold  a  strange  gathering  before  the 
house  of  Zaccheus.  It  is  composed  of  unfortunates  of  all  kinds, 
poor,  lame,  blind,  cripples,  etc.  The  chief  publican  who  a  while 
ago  would  scarcely  have  noticed  them,  now  goes  to  each  with 
kind  words  and  gives  them  liberal  gifts  of  money.  He  thus 
distributes  the  half  of  all  his  former  wealth.  But  will  he  not 
again  force  the  money  into  his  coffers?  O  no!  He  has  strongly 
impressed  upon  his  assistants  that  they  are  to  exact  not  a 
penny  more  than  the  law  demands.  And  with  it  all  he  is  hap- 
pier than  he  has  ever  been,  and  his  happiness  is  written  upon 
his   countenance.     What   has  happened  to   cause  this   wonderful 


Practical  Examples  619 

transformation?    is    the   question    his    fellow    townsmen    are    un- 
able to  answer. 

We  know  the  answer.  The  Lord  Jesus  alone  has  wrought 
the  change.  We  have  already  told  how  kindly  the  Savior 
dealt  with  him  when  He  came  to  his  house.  He,  the  good,  holy 
man  in  his,  the  sinner's,  house;  the  love  that  shone  forth  from 
His  eyes  and  never  a  word  of  censure  or  blame!  It  softened 
the  publican's  heart.  He  knew  that  he  had  not  deserved  so 
much  kindness  and  love.  From  all  that  the  Savior  said  and 
did.  it  became  clear  to  him  that  He  was  holy,  sinless.  In 
the  presence  of  Jesus  Zaccheus  saw  himself  for  the  first  time 
as  a  great  sinner,  and  all  his  deception  and  seeking  after  riches 
loomed  before  his  eyes  as  evil.  ,  "What  shall  I  do  that  I  may 
become  clean?"  he  asks.  "I  will  do  what  I  can;  perhaps  the 
Lord  will  forgive."  And  then  he  said  what  we  have  already 
learned,  "The  half  of  my  goods",  etc.  You  have  seen  that  he  was 
in  earnest,  and  it  happened  as  he  desired.  Certainly  the  Savior 
forgave  him  :  "This  day  is  salvation  come  to  this  house".  Now 
the  page  has  been  turned.  To  be  rich  is  no  longer  the  greatest 
thing  in  his  eyes;  but  his  desire  is  to  please  the  Savior,  to  do 
what  He  wishes,  and  to  hate  what  He  hates.  This  the  Savior 
wrought  by  His  love.  Tell  me  the  Scripture  passage  you  have 
learned  about  His  love  "Oh,  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord  is 
good."  Zaccheus  tasted  that.  "The  Son  of  Man  is  come  to 
seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost."  Who  else  of  his  time 
experienced  that?  The  publican  Matthew? — And  now  we  hard- 
ly  recogrize  Zaccheus.  -He  is  a  different  man,  a  new  creature. 
Old  things  have  passed  away.  What,  for  example  is  past  and 
gone?  All  things  are  become  new.  What  do  we  see  in  him  that 
is  new? 

The  Old:  The   New: 

Seeking  after   riches.  Seeking  to   please   the   Savior. 

Love  of  gold.  Love   to    the    Savior. 

Cheating,  Making    restitution. 

Hoarding,  Distributing  to  the  poor, 

Unfriendliness,  Friendliness, 

Bad  conscience.  Forgiveness,  a  good  conscience, 

Sadness,  discontent  Happiness  and  peace 
is  past.  havo  taken  its  place. 


620  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

In  Zaccheus  has  this  word  of  Holy  Writ  been  fulfilled : 
Therefore  if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature  (2 
Cor.  5,  17).     Let  us  learn  this  passage. 

You  can  doubtless  recall  another  man  with  whom  all 
things  became  new.  It  was  Saul,  or  Paul.  What  things  became 
old  with  him?  Hatred  against  Christ,  persecution  of  the  Chris- 
tians. And  what  became  new?  Love  to  the  Savior  and  all  be- 
lievers, obedience  to  Him,  consecration  and  work  for  Him. 
Through  whom»  did  this  happen?  Tell  me  what  more  you  know 
about  Saul's  conversion.  Thus  Paul  learned  by  his  own  experi- 
ence the  truth — the  truth  which  he  so  beautifully  expressed  in 
his  letter  to  the  Corinthians. — Even  now  Jesus  makes  new  crea- 
tures of  all  who  receive  Him  into  their  heart  and  home.  There 
is  much  in  our  hearts  also  which  does  not  please  the  Savior. 
Our  heart  is  by  nature  like  a  dark,  dreary  room.  One  does 
not  know  how  ugly  the  room  is  until  a  light  is  brought.  So  we 
do  not  understand  the  condition  of  our  hearts  until  Jesus  reveals 
it  to  us.  Then  we  see  all  manner  of  evil  thoughts  :  Envy  and 
hatred  like  Cain  and  Joseph's  brethren,  also  covetousness ;  for, 
like  the  latter,  we  constantly  desire  the  best  for  ourselves.  There 
are  hateful  creatures  in  the  room  of  our  hearts — spiders,  thou- 
sand-legs, bats.  The  Lord  shows  us  this  by  means  of  His  word 
and  the  Holy  Ghost.  A  pious  man  once  said  to  two  bad  boys  : 
"Pray  for  the  Holy  Spirit  as  often  as  the  hour  strikes".  They 
obeyed,  and  ere  long  saw  what  bad  boys  they  had  been.  They 
continued  to  pray,  and  received  hearts  that  loved  the  Savior.  We 
can  not  see  the  Savior  and  can  not. '  like  Zaccheus,  give  Him 
our  hand  and  say:  "In  the  Lord's  name,  welcome  to  our  house. 
Lord  Jesus".  But  He  is  nevertheless  here  and  sees  and  hears 
us  if  we  mean  it.  But  we  must  be  in  earnest.  How  did  Zaccheus 
show  that  he  was  in  earnest?  He  not  only  promised  Jesus  that 
he  would  do  differently,  but  he  also  kept  his  word.  He  did 
net  do  like  many  children  who  say :  "I  am  sorry  and  will  not 
do  it  again",  and  within  an  hour  forget  their  promise.  They 
do  not  mean  what  they  say. — If  there  is  one  here  who  has 
secretly  taken  something  from  another,  or  even  at  home,  he 
should  do  as  Zaccheus  did.  He  should  at  least  confess,  and  if 
possible,  give  back  that  which  he  took,  and  not  steal  again. 
Otherwise  he  is  not  in  earnest.  How  different  things  become 
in  the  home  of  a  sinner,  a  drunkard,  for  instance,  when  Jesus 


Practical  Examples  621 

enters  there !  Father,  mother,  and  children  are  different  in 
spirit  and  in  outward  appearance.  There  is  even  a  change  in 
the  furniture,  the  walls  and  the  windows.  The  heathen  leopard 
becomes  a  lamb  when  Jesus  works  in  the  heart  through  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel.  There  is  a  wonderful  change  in  a 
land  when  the  people  become  Christians.  A  shipwrecked  sailor 
is  cast  upon  an  island  where  formerly  cannibals  lived.  In  fear 
and  trembling  he  climbs  a  hill  and  beholds — a  chapel.  Then 
fear  flees,  for  he  knows  that  where  the  cross  is  planted,  he  need 
not  fear.  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new !— Fankhauser, 
page  141  ff.  Naturally,  the  conversational  form  should  here  be 
made  prominent. 

4.  APPLICATION.  The  anointing  of  David.  Because  God 
looks  upon  the  heart,  we  can  do  nothing  wiser  than  to  strive 
for  a  clean,  beautiful  heart  that  pleases  Him.  It  pleases  Him 
liest  when  we,  like  David,  think  much  of'  Him  and  love  Him. 
If  you  do  not  know  how  to  do  this,  pray  to  the  dear  Lord. 
He  will  gladly  give  you  that  which  He  gave  David — the  Holy 
Spirit.  He  will  teach  you  to  love  God  and  the  Savior  aright. 
He  will  make  you  pleasing  to  God. — Certainly  now  and  then 
evil  thoughts  will  slink  into  your  heart, — a  hateful  word,  hate- 
ful thoughts  against  your  companions,  a  foolish  act.  But  the 
Spirit  of  God  tells  your  conscience  kindly  and  gently  that  you 
did  wrong.  Would  you  remain  pleasing  to  God?  Then  follow 
David's  example.  How?  Sing  a  hymn,  repeat  the  passages 
of  Scripture  you  have  learned,  or  think  of  David  the  shepherd 
boy,  or  of  Joseph.  What  did  Joseph  do  when  he  was  tempted 
to  wrong?  How  did  Joshua  admonish  his  people?  Therefore 
keep  watch  over  your  hearts,  that  you  may  please  the  Lord, 
your  God. — You  liked  David's  courage,  boys,  did  you  not?  I 
will  tell  you  a  story  of  a  boy  who  had  the  right  kind  of  cou- 
rage. Story — The  Proper  Courage.  Little  Edward  lacked  cou- 
rage to  do  wrong,  to  lie,  to  steal;  but  he  was  brave  enough  to 
save  a  child's  life  at  the  risk  of  his  own. — Above  all,  we  want 
to  equal  David  in  one  point  more.  Do  not  feel  proud  if  you 
have  been  good  and  obedient,  and  do  not  boast  how  much  you 
read  your  Bible  or  pray  :  only  think,  it  is  enough  that  the  good 
Lord  knows  it.  Many  small  and  large  children  are  like  hens. 
If  they  have  given  a  poor  child  some  little  thing,  or  if,  for  a 
change,    they   have   obeyed    their   parents,    or   perhaps    have   not 


622  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

talked  in  school,  they  cackle  loudly  about  it  like  the  hen  when 
she  has  laid  an  egg;  or  they  look  around  to  see  if  some  one  will 
not  praise  them.  Do  not  do  so.  Rather  think  of  the  dear  Lord. 
Rejoice  if  you  can  please  Him.  He  sees  it,  and  at  the  proper 
time  it  will  be  revealed. 

The  Lord  no  longer  needs  kings — yet  He  will  make  of  us 
something  finer  than  kings.  He  watches  to  see  whom  He  can 
make  His  child  and  take  into  heaven,  where  each  one  will 
have  far  more  glory  than  David  ever  possessed.  But  He  will 
first  hold  an  examination.  Each  one  must  stand  before  Him 
to  be  tried,  as  the  children  of  Jesse  were  proved  by  Samuel. 
But  God  will  not  only  look  upon  us,  He  will  look  us  through 
and  through.  On  that  great  examination  day  all  things  will 
come  to  light  that  were  hidden  and  secret,  the  good  as  well  as 
the  bad.  Then  perhaps  a  child  will  stand  before  Him  and  say: 
"Behold,  dear  Lord,  here  am  1,  Mary,  the  daughter  of  the  rich 
miller.  My  father  has  much,  much  money  and  all  people  say, 
Von  dear  child,  you  pretty  Mary  !  Dear  Lord,  do  you  not  know 
me?"  But  God  will  sadly  say:  "I  know  you  well,  but  I  cannot 
use  you.  You  have  constantly  thought  of  your  pretty  clothes  and 
have  forgotten  Me  entirely.  You  have  kept  yourself  clean  and 
nice,  but  you  have  not  kept  your  heart  and  mind  clear  of  evil 
thoughts.  I  look  at  the  heart.  Depart  from  Me". — Or  big  John 
will  say  :  "Dear  Lord,  I  have  always  been  the  strongest  in  our 
school,  and  all  have  praised  my  strength  and  agility".  But 
God  will  perhaps  say  :  "Yes.  you  have  overcome  others,  but  you 
have  not  conquered  your  pride  and  anger  and  the  evil  in  y  »ur 
heart.  Your  heart  is  not  good  and  you  have  never  prayed  to 
Me  to  cleanse  it.  Depart  from  Me!"  Then  will  come  clever 
Lydia,  and  say :  "Dear  Lord,  do  you  not  know  that  I  have 
always  been  the  first  in  my  class?  You  will  certainly  give  me 
first  place  in  heaven,  will  you  not?"  But  God  will  say-  "Lydia. 
I  not  only  take  into  account  the  Scripture  passages  and  Bible 
stories  they  all  can  tell,  but  also  this,  that  they  practice  what  they 
have  learned.  But  you  have  not  obeyed  vour  parents,  and  much 
less  have  you  obeyed  Me". — Perhaps  a  small,  shy  boy  will  come 
and  stand  silently  before  the  Lord.  He  was  not  strong,  and  the 
others  often  plagued  him.  He  was  poor  and  had  no  thick  shoes 
or  warm  cap,  and  was  often  cold  in  winter.  Buc  the  good  Lord 
will    regard   him   kindly   and    say :      "Come   to    Me,    dear   child. 


Practical  Examples  623 

I  have  seen  how  you  have  thought  of  Me  and  loved  Me.  I  know 
well  how  often  you  have  shared  your  bread  with  other  poor 
children  and  how  you  have  overcome  the  temptation  to  lie  or 
steal  because  you  did  not  wish  to  make  Me  sad.  I  know  you. 
You  are  My  dear  child.  Enter  into  the  eternal  joy  which  I 
have  prepared  for  you". — See  how  differently  God  looks  at 
things  !  How  easily  could  rich  Mary,  big  John  and  clever  Lydia 
have  pleased  God,  if  only  they  had  kept  watch  over  their  hearts! 
Despise  not  the  poor  child  in  torn  clothes.  Perhaps  God  will 
be  pleased  with  his  heart  rather  than  with  yours.  The  Lord 
looks  upon  the  heart.  "Search  me,  O  God,  and  know  my  heart : 
try  me  and  know  my  thoughts  :  and  see  if  there  be  any  wicked 
way  in  me,  and  lead  me  in  the  way  everlasting." — Fank- 
hauser,  page  130  ff.  The  catechist  would  do  better  to  confine 
himself  to  what  is  said  of  examination. 

5.  A  complete  example:  How  God  made  the  first  people 
happy. 

Preparation.  From  whom  does  everything  that  we  see  on 
earth  come? — Correct.  It  all  comes  from  the  dear  Lord  who 
created  it  in  six  days  and  still  preserves  it.  Therefore  we  call 
God  the  Creator  of  all  things  and  say  on  Sunday  in  church : 
"I  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of  heaven  and 
earth".  But  for  whom  has  God  made  this  world  with  all  its 
beauty?  What  do  you  think,  Anna,  for  whom  has  God  created 
this  earth  with  its  mountains  and  valleys,  rivers  and  seas. 
fields  and  meadows,  birds  and  animals?  Indeed,  God 
made  it  all  for  us ;  we  should  live  here ;  it  should  be  our 
home  and  afford  us  all  that  is  necessary  for  our  life.  There- 
fore we  should  be  glad  and  happy.  How  rich  is  our  God,  who 
made  everything  so  beautiful ;  and  how  good  and  kind  He  is 
for  calling  all  this  into  being  for  our  sakes.  And  yet  we  have 
not  heard  the  best  that  God  made  in  the  beginning,  in  order  that 
we  might  be  perfectly  happy.  What  could  that  have  been? 
We  shall  hear  about  it  today,  for  we  shall  hear  how  God  made 
the  first  people  happy. 

Presentation.  When  God  created  the  world,  He  made  a 
most  beautiful  garden.  You  have  perhaps  seen  pretty  gardens, 
but  none  so  beautiful  as  that.  It  was  called  Paradise,  that 
is,  Garden  of  Pleasure,  because  it  was  a  pleasure  to  be  in  it 
and    to    live    in    it.      There    were   beautiful    trees    of   all   kinds — 


624  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

forest  trees  which  gave  cool  shade  and  fruit  trees  which  yielded 
the  finest  of  fruits.  And  Oh,  the  many,  many  flowers  that  grew 
there !  They  bloomed  and  gave  out  perfume  as  flowers  never 
since  have  done.  There  were  also  all  kinds  of  animals,  large 
and  small,  from  the  little  mouse  to  the  lion,  the  king  of  beasts. 
Happy  birds  fluttered  from  twig  to  twig  or  flew  high  into  the 
air  and  sang  until  the  heavens  resounded.  There  was  plenty 
of  water,  for  there  were  many  springs,  clear  as  crystal,  flow- 
ing from  the  rocks.  These  flowed  down  the  mountain-side  and 
became  brooks,  and  the  brooks  grew  into  rivers  and  streams. 
Four  such  streams  flowed  through  Paradise  and  watered  it. 
keeping  the  grass  and  trees  and  flowers  green  and  fresh.  Rich 
people,  kings  and  emperors  have  made  themselves  fine  gardens, 
but  believe  me,  children,  none  of  them,  however  large  and 
beautiful,  could  compare  with  the  pleasure  garden  which  God 
made  when  He  created  the  world.  And  think  of  it ! — Adam  was 
permitted  to  live  in  this  beautiful  garden  of  Paradise.  Oh.  how 
happy  did  God  make  our  first  parents  therewith. 

He  could  go  through  the  garden,  rejoice  over  the  flowers, 
eat  the  fruit  and  lie  in  the  cool  shadow  of  the  trees.  He  could 
see  all  the  animals  and  play  with  them.  But  with  all  this,  some- 
thing was  yet  lacking.  What  was  it?  He  had  no  one  to  speak 
with.  The  animals  followed  him  when  he  called  them  by  the 
names  he  gave  them  and  let  themselves  be  stroked  by  him.  The 
birds  came  and  perched  upon  his  shoulders  or  rested  on  his 
hand.  But  when  Adam  spoke  to  them  they  could  not  reply  and 
they  understood  nothing  of  his  thoughts.  Then  Adam  wished 
for  some  one  who  would  be  his  equal,  with  whom  he  could 
speak,  and  who  could  be  a  companion  in  his  joy;  for  his  heart 
was  full  to  overflowing  when  he  beheld  all  the  beauty  that  sur- 
rounded him.  The  good  Lord,  understanding  Adam's  wishes, 
let  him  fall  into  a  deep  sleep.  Then  He  took  one  of  Adam's 
ribs  and  out  of  it  made  a  woman.  Eve.  When  Adam  awoke, 
he  saw  her  standing  before  him.  He  beheld  her  with  wonder  and 
shouted  with  joy:  "This  is  now  bone  of  my  bones  and  flesh 
of  my  flesh  :  she  is  a  fitting  companion  and  just  what  I  have 
wished  for.  I  can  speak  to  her  and  she  to  me.  I  can  tell  her 
all  my  thoughts".  How  happy  was  Adam  then !  He  went  about 
the  garden  with  Eve  and  showed  her  a  pretty  spot  here  and 
another   there.     They   sat  beside  the  brook  and  listened   to  the 


Practical  Examples  625 

babbling  water,  or  reveled  in  tbe  sweet  songs  of  the  birds.  And 
when  they  became  hungry,  they  plucked  berries  or  apples  and 
pears  from  the  trees.  But  many  a  time  they  must  have  stood 
still  and  said  to  each  other  :  "Oh,  how  much  our  God  must  love 
us  since  He  has  madf  everything  so  beautiful  and  placed  us  in 
this  lovely  garden".  They  worked,  too,  for  God  had  told  them 
to  take  care  of  the  garden.  They  watered  the  tiny  plants,  mak- 
ing little  ditches,  so  that  the  water  could  flow  to  them;  they 
lifted  up  a  branch  of  the  grape-vine  here  and  one  there  and 
fastened  it  so  that  it  could  climb  up  the  tree.  But  their  work 
was  not  hard,  it  did  not  make  them  tired.  It  was  a  pleasure  and 
a  joy  and  only  increased  their  happiness. 

God  had  made  Adam  and  Eve  masters  not  only  over  the 
garden,  but  also  over  all  animals  that  were  in  it,  the  small  as 
well  as  the  great.  "Be  fruitful  and  multiply",  He  had  said, 
"'and  replenish  the  earth,  and  subdue  it;  and  have  dominion 
over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and 
over  every  living  thing  that  moveth  upon  the  earth".  In  our 
picture  the  artist  has  shown  us  the  Lord  God  pointing  to  the 
animals  with  one  hand,  while  He  raises  the  other  before  Adam 
and  Eve  and  speaks  these  words  to  them.  See,  here  is  a 
mightly  elephant  with  his  big  ears  and  long  trunk.  Above  him 
sit  two  mighty  birds.  Farther  down  is  a  proud  horse  with  high 
head  and  flowing  mane.  And  near  by — what  is  that  just  showing 
its  little  head? — Sure,  it  is  a  lamb.  And  that  other  is  a  deer, 
which  can  run  so  swiftly  and  flees  when  it  sees  human  beings. 
What  comes  next?  Correct — that  is  a  lion.  The  lion  is  a 
powerful  animal,  and  therefore  he  is  called  the  king  of  beasts. 
Beside  him  a  cow  is  peacefully  lying,  while  between  her  legs 
a  serpent  crawls.  Could  we  today  put  all  the  animals  together 
as  the  painter  has  done?  Why  not?  Certainly.  They  would 
kill  and  eat  each  other  and  the  people,  too.  We  would  have  to 
put  some  of  them  behind  iron  bars.  But  then  it  was  different, 
for  when  God  created  them  the  animals  were  not  enemies  to 
each  other.  It  was  easy,  too.  for  Adam  and  Eve  to  be  their 
masters,  and  it  was  a  part  of  their  happiness  when  God  said 
to  them  :  "You  shall  rule  over  all  these  creatures  and  over  the 
whole  earth  and  subdue  them".  So  God  made  the  first  people 
kings  over  the  earth. 

But,   mv  dear  children.   I   have  not   vet   mentioned   the  best 


626  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 
s  rt^T  ""       :         ' —  ' 

and  greatest  happiness  of  Adam  and  Eve.  What  could  that  be? 
It  was  when  the  Lord  God  came  to  them  in  the  garden  and 
spoke  with  them  as  a  father  with  his  children.  Oh,  how  they  re- 
joiced when  He  entered  the  garden,  and  how  they  hastened  to 
meet  Him,  as  children  do  when  their  parents  return  from  a 
journey.  How  bright  their  eyes  ! — They  had  so  much  to  show 
Him  and  so  many  questions  to  ask.  Today  we  can  not  see 
God,  but  then  He  came  to  them  in  the  form  of  a  human  being, 
so  that  they  could  see  Him  and  feel  Him.  What  delightful  con- 
versations those  must  have  been  between  God  and  them !  He 
would  explain  to  them  what  they  did  not  understand,  how  He 
had  made  the  world,  that  it  was  all  for  them  for  their  enjoyment 
and  happiness  and  that  they  should  rule  over  it.  "Yes,"  said 
God  to  them  one  day,  "everything  you  see  is  yours  and  you 
may  eat  of  every  tree  in  the  garden,  but  of  this  tree  here,  the 
tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  you  shall  not  eat.  For 
the  day  you  eat  thereof,  you  shall  surely  die."  What  a  kind 
God,  who,  with  this  one  exception,  placed  everything  into  their 
hands.  How  He  must  have  loved  these  first  people,  and  how 
happy  they  must  have  been ! 

Penetration  (association,  comparison,  and  abstraction). 
Where  did  the  first  people  live?  Where  was  Paradise?  What — 
you  do  not  know?  Neither  do  I.  Many  learned  men  have  thought 
that  it  was  in  Asia  Minor,  between  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris 
rivers.  (Show  map.)  They  may  be  right,  but  no  one  knows 
for  sure,  and  we  can  not  seek  it,  for  it  is  no  longer  upon  eaith. 
Since  when  has  it  disappeared  from  the  earth? — At  any  rate, 
since  our  first  parents  fell  into  sin  there  has  been  no  Paradise 
here  below.  Much  more  important  is  another  question,  namely, 
how  Paradise  looked  and  how  it  was  there.  And  to  this  the  name 
"Paradise"  gives  the  answer.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word 
Paradise?  Who  has  noted  it?  Paradise,  or  Garden  of  Eden, 
means  garden  of  pleasure.  There  are  pleasure  gardens  today. 
for  many  a  rich  man  has  provided  himself  one  and  many  cities 
have  parks  which  could  be  called  pleasure  gardens.  But  why  call 
them  pleasure  gardens?  Because  the  people  find  pleasure  and  en- 
joyment in  them.  When  they  become  weary,  they  can  rest  there. 
When  the  sun  is  hot,  what  can  they  find  there?  Especially  who 
can  play  and  have  a  good  time  there?  You  children,  of  course. 
But  of  all   the  pretty  parks   and   gardens,   with   which   one   can 


Practical  Examples  627 

tlu-y  not  compare?  Now  tell  me  all  that  was  to  be  found  in  the 
pleasure  garden  called  Paradise.  What  was  there  besides  the 
beautiful  flowers  and  the  trees?  What  can  you  tell  about  the 
streams  that  flowed  through  and  watered  the  garden?  Be- 
cause of  this,  what  was  the  condition  of  the  grass  and  all  plants 
and  trees  in  this  garden?  Often  it  is  not  so  with  us.  What 
happens  so  often  in  summer  to  the  grass  and  plants?  Yes. 
sometimes  the  trees  lose  their  leaves  in  summer  when  it  has  been 
hot  and  dry  and  no  rain  or  dew  falls.  It  was  not  so  in  Para- 
dise. Everything  was  as  fresh  and  green  as  in  spring-time. 
And  just  think  of  it.  children,  there  was  no  hot  summer  to 
make  everything  dry;  no  autumn  when  the  leaves  fall  from  the 
trees  ;  and  no  winter,  when  all  in  Nature  seems  dead  and  snow 
and  ice  cover  all  the  earth.  But.  to  be  more  correctly,  these 
four  seasons  were  also  in  Paradise,  but  none  of  them  brought 
those  disadvantages  they  bring  now.  Oh,  then,  what  pleasure 
and  joy  were  in  Paradise!  Therefore.  how  do  we 
nghtly  call  that  garden?  And  whom  did  God  place  in  that  gar- 
den to  live?  What  should  Adam  according  to  God's  will  have 
there?  Surely,  pleasure,  satisfaction  and  joy.  Truly  happy 
did  God  want  to  make  Adam,  therefore  He  placed  him  in  this 
garden.  Let  us  all  say  this  together:  God  wanted  to  make 
the  first  human  being  happy,  therefore  He  placed  him  in  Para- 
dise.    (Write  on  blackboard.) 

Was  Adam  happy  in  Paradise?  Tell  us  about  his  happi- 
ness. What,  besides  the  trees  and  the  flowers  gave  him  the 
most  pleasure?  To  be  sure,  the  birds  and  the  other  animals; 
they  had  life  and  could  look  at  him.  Tell  me  how  trustful  they 
were  toward  him.  What  did  he  give  to  each  bird  and  animal? 
Adam  had  closely  noted  their  way  of  living,  everything  was  so 
new  to  him.  and  God  had  given  him  keen  understanding.  If 
we  now  knew  the  names  which  Adam  gave  to  the  animals  we 
would  certainly  wonder  at  their  fitness.  The  animals  gradually 
became  accustomed  to  the  names  Adam  gave  them.  How  is  this 
shown?  But  when  the  dog  came  when  Adam  called  him.  and 
the  lion  lay  at  his  feet,  so  that  Adam  could  fondle  his  mane, 
and  when  he  spoke  to  them  and  called  them  pet  names,  what 
could  they  not  do?  How  do  we  feel  without  some  one  to  whom 
we  can  speak?  Yes.  we  feel  lonesome  and  forsaken.  Just  fancy 
yourself   alone,    with    no   one    to   speak   to.     How   unhappy   you 


628  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

would  be.  How  would  Adam  therefore  have  felt  in  spite  of  the 
beautiful  garden  in  which  he  lived?  He  would  certainly  have 
been  without  something  very  necessary  to  his  happiness.  Man 
is  happy  only  when  he  can  express  himself  and  finds  that  his 
thoughts  are  understood  and  answered.  The  reason  why  it  is 
so  hard  in  prison  is  not.  because  one  must  work,  but  because 
he  must  be  alone  and  dare  not  speak  to  others.  What,  then,, 
did  Adam  soon  wish  for?  To  whom  was  his  wish  satisfactory? 
What  did  God  say  to  Himself?  What  did  God  immediately  do 
with  Adam's  wish?  Why  would  He  act  upon  it  immediately? 
Certainly.  He  wanted  Adam  to  be  happy.  Could  He  not  have 
given  Eve  to  him  at  the  very  beginriing?  He  could  have  done  so, 
but  why  did  He  not  do  it?  If  no  one  knows,  I  shall  have  to 
tell  you.  The  Lord  wanted  Adam  to  learn  what  he  yet  needed. 
If  we  have  something  from  the  beginning,  then  we  do  not 
yearn  for  it  or  value  it  highly.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we  re- 
ceive something  which  we  need  and  for  which  we  have  long- 
wished,  we  are  much  happier  when  we  get  it.  So  it  should  be 
with  Adam.  Tell  me  how  God  gave  him  some  one  to  whom  he 
could  speak.  How  did  Adam  feel  when  he  awoke  from  his 
sleep  and  suddenly  saw  Eve  before  him?  How  did  he  express 
his  wonder?  He  said  with  these  words  that  here  was  at  last 
a  suitable  companion.  Where,  so  far,  had  he  found  no  suitable 
companion?  It  was  immediately  clear  to  him  that  man  and 
woman  belong  together.  With  what  wonderful  words  did  he 
show  this?  What  do  we  say  of  a  man  and  woman  when  they 
leave  father  and  mother  and  live  together?  And  by  what  name 
do  we  call  that  life  when  a  man  and  woman  are  united?  You 
do  not  know  it,  and  therefore  I  will  tell  you  :  They  are  mar- 
ried, and  such  living  together  we  call  married  life.  Who  gave 
Adam  his  wife?  God  Himself  thereby  instituted  the  marriage 
relation  and  showed  that  it  is  pleasing  to  Him  when  man  and 
woman  enter  into  the  same.  If  God  Himself  instituted  mar- 
riage, what  should  husband  or  wife  not  do? — What  is  done 
with  the  marriage  relation  when  husband  or  wife  separate  or  do 
not  love  each  other  and  are  not  true  to  each  other? — Yes,  they 
break  the  marriage  tie.  for  they  break  the  word,  or  promise, 
they  have  given  to  each  other.  That  is  a  great  sin.  Tell 
me  the  Sixth  Commandment. — But  we  must  return  to  our 
story !      Did    God    make   Adam    happy    when    He    gave    Eve   to 


Practical  Examples  629 

him?  And  now  Adam  had  some  one  with  whom  he  could  do 
what?  And  what  could  Eve  do  when  Adam  spoke  to  her?  Tell 
me  in  a  few  words  how  happy  they  were.  Adam  and  Eve 
could  then  say  what  King  David  later  declared.  When  he 
thought  of  all  that  God  had  given  him  to  make  him  happy,  he 
rejoiced  in  these  words:  "The  Lord  is  my  shepherd;  I  shall 
not  want",  etc.  Did  Adam  and  Eve  have  to  work?  But  why 
did  this  work  not  disturb  their  happiness?  Correct.  Joyful 
work  is  a  pleasure  and  no  burden.  Now,  who  gave  Eve  to 
Adam,  thereby  making  him  happy?  Let  us  repeat  together: 
God  made  Adam  happy,  because  He  gave  Eve  to  him,  with  whom 
he  could  speak  and  rejoice.  (Write  this  on  the  blackboard.) 
Mary,  you  may  tell  us  this.  Now  Frank  may  repeat  it.  John, 
what  was  the  first  thing  we  heard  that  God  did  to  make  Adam 
happy?  Yes,  God  made  Adam  happy  when  He  placed  him  in  the 
pleasure   garden.      Louise,    what    did    we    further    hear? 

However,  we  know  still  more  about  the  happiness  of  the 
first  people.  God  not  only  placed  Adam  in  Paradise,  gave  him 
Eve  to  be  his  playmate  and  companion,  but  also  made  them 
rulers  over  the  animals  in  the  garden  and  over  the  whole  earth. 
Who  can  repeat  the  words  with  which  God  gave  them  this  right? 
Yes.  those  are  the  words.  Many  people  should  come  from 
Adam  and  Eve.  so  that  the  entire  earth  should  be  filled.  And 
wherever  these  people  should  go,  they  should  rule  over  all  the 
animals,  and  all  the  powers  of  the  earth  should  serve  them. 
Tell  me,  Louis,  how  do  you  think  the  people  should  make  the 
beasts  serve  them?  How  do  we  today  compel  the  horse  to  serve 
us?  How  does  the  cow  serve  us?  The  chickens?  So  should  all 
animals,  even  the  lion  and  the  elephant,  serve  Adam  and  Eve. 
each  one  according  to  his  powers.  I  have  also  spoken  of  the 
powers  of  nature.  What  had  I  in  mind?  Is  there  none  who 
knows?  I  was  thinking  of  the  air,  the  wind,  gas,  electricity.  Are 
not  those  great  powers  with  which  man  accomplishes  wonders? 
By  what  do  we  today  see  that  we  control  the  air?  How  do  we 
use  the  wind?  For  what  purposes  do  we  use  gas  and  elec- 
tricity? And  now  think  of  the  treasures  beneath  the  earth.  Can 
you  mention  some  of  them?  Certainly,  coal,  iron,  and  the  other 
metals  up  to  the  precious  silver  and  gold.  The  good  Lord  set 
Adam  and  Eve  over  all  these.  They  should  use  them  all  for 
their  comfort,  good,  and  pleasure.     How  rich   God  made  them! 


630  •  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

The  lords  and  kings  of  the  earth  also  have  control  over  many 
animals,  powers  and  hidden  treasures,  but  they  rule  over  only 
one  land,  while  Adam  and  Eve  were  rulers  over  the  entire  earth. 
What  title  then  can  we  rightly  give  them?  Perfectly  correct. 
We  can  call  them  kings,  for  they  were  kings  and  rulers  over 
the  whole  earth,  with  all  that  was  in  or  upon  it.  People  often 
follow  an  earthly  king  because  they  must  and  because  they 
will  be  punished  if  they  do  not.  How  did  the  animals  and  the 
powers  of  nature  obey  Adam?  And  what  made  it  easier  for  him 
to  control  the  animals?  Recall  the  picture  you  saw  the  last 
time.  Which  beasts  did  we  see  peacefully  lying  side  by  side? 
Could  that  be  done  today?  Why  not?  What  must  be  done  with 
the  lion  or  the  serpent?  They  would  not  only  hurt  the  other 
animals,  but  whom  also  would  they  attack?  Yes.  man's  lite 
would  not  be  secure.  Then  what  was  not  present  among  the 
animals  of  that  time?  And  between  whom  also  was  there  no 
enmity?  That  is  right.  As  the  flowers,  large  and  small,  did  not 
wither  or  fade,  so  was  there  no  enmity,  no  death  among  tne 
animals.  They  did  not  prey  on  each  other,  but  all  lived  to- 
gether in  peace  and  harmony.  It  was  good  to  be  king  and  ruler 
there.  Who  made  the  first  people  rulers  over  the  whole  earth? 
How  did  He  want  to  make  them?  Yes,  He  desired  to  make  them 
happy.  Let  us  say  together  :  God  made  the  first  people  happy 
because  He  made  them  rulers  over  the  whole  earth.  (Write 
on  the  blackboard.)  In  how  many  ways  have  we  thus  far 
learned  that  God  made  the  first  people  happy?  Tell  me  the  three 
ways. 

Was  there  anything  more  that  God  could  do  to  make  the 
first  people  happy?  One  might  think  that  they  had  all  that  was 
necessary  to  make  them  happy,  and  yet  the  most  important  thing 
was  lacking.  Picture  yourselves  living  in  the  most  beautiful 
garden  there  ever  was  that  you  had  brothers  and  sisters  with 
whom  you  could  speak  and  play:  that  you  were  rich  and  ruled 
over  all  things,  but  that  you  had  no  father  or  mother.  Would 
you  be  really  and  truly  happy?  And  how  would  it  be  if  father 
and  mother  were  living,  but  they  were  angry  with  you  and 
wanted  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  you?  How  would  you  then 
feel?  Certainly  you  would  be  very  unhappy.  Of  whom 
would  you  be  constantly  thinking?  And  of  what  especially 
would   you   be   thinking?     If   you    were   good   children,    all   joy 


Practical  Examples  631 

would  depart  if  you  had  to  say:  Father  and  mother  want  to 
have  nothing  to  do  with  us.  They  are  angry  with  us.  Now, 
who  was  Adam's  father?  Why  was  God  Adam's  and  Eve's 
father?  How  would  the  first  people  certainly  have  been,  if 
their  heavenly  father,  the  dear  Lord,  had  never  come  to  them 
and  wanted  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  them?  What,  then, 
would  God  have  done  to  make  the  first  people  perfectly  happy? 
Correct.  God  came  to  them  in  the  garden  and  spoke  to  them 
as  a  father  with  his  children.  Could  they  see  God?  Yes, 
children,  I  believe  they  could  see  Him  as  we  some  time  shall 
behold  God  in  heaven.  What  did  God  have  to  do,  if  Adam  and 
Eve  were  to  see  Him  with  their  natural  eyes?  Of  course,  God 
must  make  Himself  visible.  God  is  a  spirit,  but  He  can  take 
on  human  form.  And  what  happiness  must  have  been  theirs 
when  Adam  and  Eve  saw  God  come  to  them  in  human  form. 
What  do  you  think  they  did  when  they  saw  Him  coming  to 
them?  And  what  do  you  think  they  did  when  He  walked 
through  the  garden  with  them?  Tell  me  a  few  questions  which 
they  probably  asked  Him?  There  were  many  wonderful  things 
in  this  beautiful  garden  which  they  could  not  explain.  Which 
was  the  first  question,  in  your  opinion,  they  asked?  Yes,  I 
too,  think  that  they  asked  the  Lord  who  made  the  beautiful 
garden,  the  whole  earth,  and  the  heavens  above.  O  children, 
those  must  have  been  blessed  hours  when  God  spake  with  them 
and  they  told  Him  all  that  filled  their  hearts.  Now  what  could 
not  but  be  impressed  upon  them  as  they  talked  with  God?  It 
was  out  of  love  to  them  that  God  made  everything  so  beautiful; 
out  of  love  He  came  to  them  and  communed  with  them  like  a 
father  with  his  children.  And  I  should  greatly  wonder  if  Adam 
and  Eve,  when  they  were  alone,  did  not  often  say  to  each  other  : 
How  dearly  God  must  love  us  !  Oh,  we  can  not  do  otherwise 
than  love  Him  in  return.  Of  what  Scripture  passage  does  that 
remind  you?  Yes,  so  would  they  have  said  to  each  other: 
"We  love  Him,  because  He  first  loved  us".  Now  we  know  what 
made  Adam  and  Eve  happiest.  What  was  it?  Let  us  repeat 
together  :  God  made  the  first  people  happy,  because  He  came  to 
them  and  walked  with  them  as  a  father  with  his  children. 
(Write  this  on  the  blackboard.)  What  was  the  first  thing  that 
God  did  to  make  Adam  and  Eve  happy?  What  was  the  second, 
the  third,   the   fourth?     Yes,   God  had   dene  so   much   for  them. 


632  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

and  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  were  happy,  perfectly  happy.  And 
why  did  He  do  so?  Right.  He  did  all  this  purely  out  of  love 
to  them. 

And  notice,  children,  this  also,  that  it  was  because  of  His 
love  that  He  gave  them  only  one  commandment.  He  did  not 
wish  to  plague  them  with  many  commandments.  They  should 
not  constantly  have  to  say :  Yes,  God  has  forbidden  this  and 
that.  What  is  the  commandment  God  gave  them?  You  may  tell 
me — and  you — and  you.  Why  did  God  call  this  tree  the  tree 
of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil?  Do  you  not  know?  Well, 
the  word  "knowledge"  comes  from  the  word  "know".  This 
tree  should  help  them  to  know  what  was  good  and  what  was 
evil.  Does  it  make  any  difference  whether  we  know  what  is 
good  and  what  is  evil?  Yes,  indeed,  much  depends  upon  it. 
Vou  only  need  to  compare  yourself  with  father  and  mother 
to  see  it.  They  know  much  better  than  you  what  is  good  and 
what  is  bad.  They  have  often  enough  experienced,  how  bad  it 
is  when  one  does  wrong,  and  how  blessed  it  is  when  one  does 
right.  Hence  they  do  not  easily  permit  themselves  to  be  per- 
suaded to  do  wrong.  And  was  it  not  necessary  for  Adam  and 
Eve  also  to  learn  what  was  good  and  what  was  evil,  so  that 
they  might  always  choose  the  good?  And  what  was  to  be  the 
result  if  they  did  the  good?  Correct.  Their  happiness  was  to 
increase.  Are  you  happy  and  joyful  when  you  have  done  wrong? 
How  do  you  feel?  Yes,  you  feel  ashamed  and  uneasy.  It 
should  not  be  so  with  Adam  and  Eve.  They  should  learn  most 
precisely  what  was  good  and  what  was  evil,  in  order  that  they 
might  always  do  good  and  be  happy  and  blessed.  (Write  on  the 
blackboard.)  That  was  what  God  wanted,  and  therefore  He 
placed  the  tree  with  the  forbidden  fruit  in  the  garden.  What, 
therefore,  were  God's  intentions  in  regard  to  them?  His  inten- 
tions were  good  because  He  loved  them.  Now  one  should-  have 
expected  that  Adam  and  Eve  would  have  done  what?  Yes. 
they  should  have  loved  God.  They  said  many  times  that  they 
loved  God;  however,  they  should  not  only  say  it.  but  also  prove 
it  by  their  deeds.  How  could  they  have  best  proved  that  they 
loved  God?  Perfectly  correct.  That  is  the  best  proof  of  our 
love  to  God,  that  we  keep  His  commandments.  In  which  Scrip- 
ture passage  did  you  learn  that?  We  shall  see  if  Adam 
and  Eve  loved  God  so  well  that  they  kept  His  commandments. 


Practical  Examples  633 

That  would  surely  have  been  the  best  thanksgiving  to  God  for 
having  made  them  so  happy. 

Application.  Children,  does  God  love  you  and  has  He 
made  you  happy?  At  any  rate,  where  has  He  not  placed  you, 
that  you  might  live  there?  Why  would  that  not  do?  But  is 
not  this  world  in  which  you  are  permitted  to  live  a  beautiful 
one?  When  do  you  most  notice  that  this  world  is  beautiful 
and  glorious?  In  spring-time,  of  course,  when  everything 
blossoms  and  grows.  It  is  sometimes  so  lovely  that  we  hear  the 
people  say :  "It  is  like  heaven".  And  as  Paradise  once  was 
the  most  beautiful  spot  on  the  earth,  so,  I  think,  God  has  also 
assigned  to  you  a  place  upon  this  wide  earth  where  you  have  it 
best.  Which  place  do  I  mean?  I  am  thinking  of  your  home. 
That  is  for  good  children  the  best  place.  Ask  the  grown-ups, 
who  have  been  among  strangers  for  a  while,  or  those  who  have 
no  home,  if  there  is  a  better  place  on  earth  than  home.  It  is 
true,  one  can  be  richer  and  freer  elsewhere;  but,  as  a  rule,  it  is 
nowhere  better  than  where  father  and  mother  are.  Think  of 
the  prodigal  son.  What  did  he  at  first  think?  What  did 
he  afterwards  learn?  And  after  what  did  he  finally  yearn  with 
his  whole  heart?  Yes,  father's  hand  holds  closest,  mother's 
eyes  beam  kindliest,  and  mother's  heart  understands  best.  Now, 
who  placed  you  in  this  beautiful  world  and  gave  you  father  and 
mother  and  home?  What  state  of  mind  should  this  work  in 
you?  Did  He  leave  you  without  any  one  to  speak  to?  You 
certainly  would  be  unhappy  children  if  you  had  no  one  with 
whom  you  could  talk,  for  it  is  very  difficult  for  you  to  sit  quiet 
and  silent  for  but  an  hour.  But  whom  did  God  give  you  to  speak 
to  at  your  pleasure?  And  who  is  it  that  always  listens  to  you 
and  never  becomes  weary  of  your  prattle?  See  there,  how  happy- 
God  has  made  you !  And  when  you  become  older,  you  will  more 
and  more  understand  that  something  of  that  kingly  position 
still  remains  for  you  which  God  once  bestowed  upon  Adam 
and  Eve.  And  if  you  had  no  home,  no  father,  no  mother,  no 
brothers  and  sisters  or  friends,  why  would  you  still  not  be  for- 
saken? Yes.  'ndeed,  God  in  heaven  would  still  be  your  father 
and  you  would  be  His  children;  and  that  is  the  greatest  happi- 
ness that  one  can  have.  Through  what  has  God  become  your 
father  and  you  His  children?  In  which  passage  of  Holy  Writ 
have    von    learned    this?      Correct.      The    great    thing    in    Bap- 


634  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

tism  is  that  it  makes  us  God's  children.  What  does  a  true  father 
do  for  his  child?  What  does  God  therefore  do  for  you,  because 
He  is  your  father  and  you  are  His  children?  How  does  He 
care  for  you?  In  what  other  ways?  And  still  others?  We 
would  not  forget  the  most  important  thing.  The  dear  Lord  sees 
to  it  that  you  hear  His  word  and  that  therein  you  are  shown  the 
way  to  true  happiness.  He  therefore  provides  not  only  for 
your  body,  but  also  for  what?  He  would  make  you  happy  in 
body  and  soul.  I  know  a  hymn  in  which  it  is  beautifully  told 
how  good  we  have  it  with  the  good  God,  with  our  dear  Savior 
Jesus  Christ.  All  of  you  know  it;  we  have  sung  it  often  to- 
gether. It  speaks  of  the  Lord  Jesus  as  the  shepherd  and  of  us 
as  His  lambs.  Now  you  know  it;  repeat  it,  John.  But  the 
finest  thing  is  that  you  as  baptized  children  can  also  speak 
with  God  like  children  speak  with  their  father.  How  may  you 
call  God?  Who  has  taught  us  that  we  can  call  God  by  the 
name — father?  Where?  What  are  the  opening  words  of  the 
prayer  Jesus  taught  us?  How  does  our  Catechism  explain  these 
words?  God  would  give  us  encouragement  and  pleasure  in 
praying.  That  is  why  He  especially  tells  us  to  call  Him  father, 
for  His  words  are  a  tender  invitation  to  pray  to  Him.  How 
should  we  pray  to  Him?  How  do  children  ask  their  father? 
Yes,  they  are  not  timid  and  fearful,  but  what  confidence  do 
they  place  in  him?  Now  is  it  not  something  unspeakably  great 
to  be  able  to  pray  to  God  in  heaven  with  all  confidence  and  as- 
surance as  dear  children  ask  of  their  dear  father?  We  must 
call  that  true  happiness.  Who  has  given  you  the  right  to 
speak  to  God  at  all  times  and  tell  Him  all  you  think  and  need? 
How  has  God  then  also  made  you?  Let  us  say  it  together. 
God  has  made  also  us  happy,  for  He  has  made  us  His  children 
through  Baptism,  who  can  entreat  Him  as  dear  children  entreat 
their  dear  father.  And,  children,  whatever  may  be  lacking  to 
make  our  happiness  complete,  He  will  give  us  above  in  heaven ; 
for  if  we  die  His  children,  He  will  take  us  home  into  the  heav- 
enly paradise.  There  our  happiness  will  be  full.  The  last 
stanza  of  a  certain  hymn  learned  by  us  recently,  fits  in  here. 
Will  you  say  it?  What,  on  God's  part,  does  the  happiness  given 
you  by  Him  prove?  How  should  you  feel  in  your  hearts  since 
God  has  made  you  so  happy?  What  kind  of  children  would  you 
be,  if  you  did  not  feel  so?     Yes,  indeed,  you  would  not  only  be 


Practical  Examples  635 

ungrateful  to  God.  but  you  would  be  thankless,  evil  children. 
And  how  must  you  show  that  you  love  God?  Yes.  that  is  love 
to  God  when  we  keep  His  commandments ;  and  the  better  we 
keep  them  the  greater  will  our  happiness  be. 

6.  Presentation  of  the  Bible  History  in  the  Sunday  School. 
(Here  the  most  important  parts  of  the  penetration  and  appli- 
cation must  be  combined  with  presentation)  :  How  the  first 
people  sinned. 

Preparation.  How  happy  God  made  the  first  people.  He 
gave  Adam  Paradise  for  his  abode,  and  Paradise  was  the  most 
beautiful  garden  the  earth  has  ever  seen.  Here  Adam  could 
have  all  that  his  heart  desired.  Here  God  created  Eve  for  him, 
that  he  might  have  some  one  with  whom  he  could  speak  and 
share  his  joy.  Oh,  how  happy  both  of  them  were  when  they 
wandered  through  the  garden  hand  in  hand  and  called  each 
other's  attention  to  the  beautiful  nooks  they  had  found.  I 
wish  that  I,  too,  might  have  been  there.  Then,  besides,  they 
were  masters  over  all  that  was  in  the  garden. — Over  the  beau- 
tiful flowers,  which  they  might  pluck  as  they  wished;  over 
all  the  sweet  fruits,  which  they  might  eat  as  they  desired;  over 
the  birds  of  the  air,  which  fluttered  about  them  and  trustfully 
perched  upon  them;  over  all  the  beasts  of  the  field,  even  the 
mighty  lions  and  giant  elephants,  which  obeyed  their  slightest 
word.  Yes,  God  made  Adam  and  Eve  rulers  over  the  entire 
earth.  Indeed,  they  were  happy  people.  And  yet,  you  know 
that  their  greatest  happiness  consisted  in  something  higher, 
much  higher.  It  consisted  in  this  that  God  came  to  them  in 
the  garden  and  spoke  with  them  as  a  father  with  his  children. 
What  blessed  hours  those  must  have  been  when  they  so  freely 
and  joyfully  associated  with  God  as  you  children  with  your 
parents,  and  when  without  fear  of  the  almighty  and  holy  One 
they  could  look  into  His  eyes  and  walk  at  His  side!  He  did 
not  burden  them  with  many  commands,  so  that  they  had  to 
watch  every  step,  lest  they  transgress  one  of  His  commandments. 
He  gave  them  a  single  command,  and  that  was  for  their  good. 
What  was  that  commandment.  Frank?  That  is  correct.  They 
might  eat  of  all  the  trees  in  the  garden  save  one.  It  should  be 
church  and  school  for  them,  for  from  it  they  should  learn  what 
was  good  and  evil,  that  they  might  always  do  the  good  and 
thereby  grow  in  happiness  and  blessedness.     For  that  was  God's 


636  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

purpose  in  all  that  He  did  for  them?  That  they  might  be  truly 
happy. 

What  should  these  first  people  have  done  with  this  com- 
mand of  God,  Mary?  ^'es.  they  should  have  gladly  kept  it. 
And  if  they  had  kept  it.  their  happiness  would  never  have  ended 
— it  would  have  lasted  for  ever.  But  they  did  not  keep  it. 
Today  we  shall  learn  how  the  first  people  disobeyed  God's 
command,  how  they  sinned. 

Presentation.  How  did  it  happen  that  the  first  people  trans- 
gressed God's  command  and  sinned  against  Him  when  He  had 
nothing  in  mind  but  their  happiness?  One  would  have  thought 
that  it  could  not  have  been  possible  for  them  to  sin  against 
God.  so  well  had  He  arranged  all  for  them.  At  first.  Adam 
and  Eve  did  keep  God's  command.  How  long  that  lasted,  we 
do  not  know;  but  it  could  not  have  been  for  too  brief  a  time. 
More  than  once  they  thought  of  the  command  and  said  to  one 
another  :  Of  that  tree  yonder  we  may  not  eat,  lest  we  die.  I 
think  that  when  they  looked  at  the  forbidden  tree,  a  sort  of 
horror  stole  over  them.  I  should  not  wonder  but  that  they  came 
after  a  while  to  call  the  tree  "the  tree  of  death"  and  passed  it 
at  a  distance  rather  than  go  near  and  touch  its  fruit.  They 
evidently  thought  not  only  of  God's  command  and  the  death  pen- 
alty that  would  follow  disobedience,  but  also  of  His  love. 
And  they  probably  said  to  one  another:  Since  God  loves  us  so. 
and  has  made  us  so  happy,  we  will  love  Him  in  return  and  try 
our  best  to  keep  His  command.  But  how  did  it  come  that  they 
finally  transgressed  and  ate  of  the   forbidden  tree? 

The  evil  thought  did  not  spring  from  their  hearts.  But 
there  was  one  who  could  not  bear  to  see  them  love  God  and  obey 
His  command.  That  was  the  devil.  He  is  the  great  enemy  and 
opponent  of  God  who  is  always  striving  to  destroy  God's  works. 
As  often  as  he  saw  these  people,  so  pure  and  holy  and  obedient 
to  God's  will,  he  became  angry  and  planned  how  to  destroy 
this  beautiful  work  of  God,  rob  the  pair  of  their  happiness, 
make  them  impure  and  unholy, — yes.  as  evil  as  he  himself  was. 
There  are  boys  who,  when  they  are  dirty,  like  nothing  better 
than  to  make  others  like  themselves.  It  is  just  so  with  the 
devil.  He  not  only  wanted  to  make  these  first  people  as  evil 
and  unclean  as  himself,  but  also  bring  it  about  that,  being 
so.   God   could  not  use  them,  that   He  could  no  longer  be  their 


Practical  Examples  637 

father  and  would  cast  them  out  of  Paradise.  And  that  was 
what  he  wanted,  for  he  said:  If  I  have  once  torn  them  from 
God,  then  they  are  mine  and  will  serve  me  all  their  lives ;  then 
I  shall  always  be  their  master  and  they  shall  ever  be  my  slaves. 

The  devil  evidently  considered  long  how  he  might  ac- 
complish his  purpose.  He  asked  himself:  How  shall  I  begin? 
How  can  I  lead  Adam  .and  Eve  astray,  so  that  they  disobey 
God  and  become  mine  forever?  It  was  clear  to  .him  that  he 
could  gain  his  end  more  easily  and  surely  if  he  tried  Eve  in- 
stead of  Adam;  for  the  woman,  being  weaker  than  the  man. 
could  more  easily  be  led  astray.  He  also  told  himself:  As  I 
am,  I  may  not  show  myself.  I  dare  in  no  way  betray  that  I 
am  the  enemy  of  God  and  their  enemy.  I  must  appear  to  be 
their  friend  who  is  seeking  their  best  interests.  Finally  his 
plan  was  perfected.     The  devil  knew  what  he  would  do. 

Craftily  and  cunningly  he  began.  How  craftily  and  cun- 
ningly, the  Bible  tells  at  length.  In  Paradise  there  -were  all 
kinds  of  serpents,  great  and  small.  They  glided  swiftly  upon 
the  ground,  they  coiled  themselves  in  the  bushes  or  wrapped 
themselves  about  the  trunks  of  the  trees  and  so  made  their  way 
to  the  branches.  Adam  and  Eve  were  not  afraid  of  them;  for 
they  could  not  and  dared  not  harm  them.  They  had  frequently 
watched  them  as  they  played  with  the  other  animals,  and  won- 
dered at  their  cunning,  in  which  they  surpassed  the  others  by 
far.  It  was  one  of  these  serpents  that  the  devil  used.  It  should 
be  his  mouthpiece,  the  agent  through  whom  he  would  deceive 
Eve   and    bring   her    to   transgress    God's    command. 

Eve  generally  avoided  the  forbidden  tree,  but  one  day,  as 
she  drew  near  to  it,  she  saw  an  especially  pretty  serpent  coiled 
about  the  trunk  of  the  tree  and  looking  in  her  direction.  It 
seemed  to  Eve  that  the  serpent  was  looking  directly  at  her  and 
holding  her  fast.  She  stood  there  and  gazed  at  the  serpent  and 
the  tree.  And  as  she  looked,  the  serpent  suddenly  began  to 
speak.  Eve  was  filled  with  wonderment,  for  though  she  had 
often  before  seen  the  serpent,  she  had  never  heard  it  speak. 
She  thought  that  no  one  could  speak  like  she,  her  husband  and 
the  good  Lord.  Can  serpents  speak,  Mary?  That  is  right; 
they  can  not  speak.  Then  how  did  it  happen  that  the  serpent 
on  the  forbidden  tree  could  speak.  Louise?  We  know  the  an- 
swer:   it   was    really   not   the   serpent,    but   the   devil    who   spoke 


638  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

through  it.  Eve  should  not  know  who  was  speaking  to  her, 
therefore  the  devil  spoke  through  the  serpent.  And  what  did 
he  want  to  do?  Who  remembers?  You  are  right,  John.  The 
devil  wanted  to  deceive  Eve  and  induce  her  to  transgress  God's 
command.  ,  ^|;lj| 

And  now  hear  what  the  devil  said  to  Eve  :  "Yea.  hath  God 
said,  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  every  tree  of  the  garden?"  He  knew 
well  that  God  had  said  something  differently,  namely,  that  God 
had  given  Adam  and  Eve  permission  to  eat  of  all  the  trees  with 
but  one  exception;  but  he  wanted  to  find  out  if  Eve  still  remem- 
bered God's  command.  He  wanted  to  make  her  uncertain  about 
it.  He  said  to  himself:  If  she  is  no  longer  sure  of  what 
God  told  her,  I  can  the  more  easily  get  her  to  disobey  and  sin 
against  God.  We  already  begin  to  see  how  cunningly  he  start- 
ed to  carry  out  his  plans.  But  this  time  his  trickery  did  not 
help  him;  for  Eve  knew  what  God  had  commanded,  and  was 
not  in  the  least  deceived.  She  replied :  "We  may  eat  of  the 
fruit  of  the  trees  of  the  garden;  but  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree 
which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  God  hath  said,  Ye  shall 
not  eat  of  it,  neither  shall  ye  touch  it,  lest  ye  die".  She  evi- 
dently meant,  What  kind  of  foolishness  are  you  speaking;  the 
very  opposite  is  true.  God  has  by  no  means  said  that  we  may 
eat  of  none  of  the  trees  of  the  garden.  He  is  not  so  cruel  that 
He  would  put  us  in  this  garden  with  all  the  many  fine  fruit 
trees,  and  then  tell  us  that  we  should  not  eat  of  them.  He  is 
too  loving  and  good  for  that.  He  plainly  told  us  that  we  might 
eat  of  all  the  trees  of  the  garden  except  this  tree  about  which 
you  have  coiled  yourself.  The  dear  Lord  has  His  good  reasons 
for  making  an  exception  of  this  tree.  Whoever  touches  the 
tree  or  eats  of  its  fruit  must  die.  God  does  not  want  us  to  die. 
He  wants  us  to  go  on  living  and  to  remain  in  this  beautiful  gar- 
den forever.  What  is  the  matter  with  you,  you  foolish  ser- 
pent? You  are  generally  so  clever  and  know  more  than  all 
the  other  animals. 

In  this  manner  Eve  answered  the  serpent  and  the  devil 
who  spoke  through  it.  The  devil  might  then  have- left,  for  he 
had  been  thwarted.  In  spite  of  all  his  craftiness.  Eve  had  put 
him  to  shame.  She  not  only  knew  the  command  exactly,  but 
she  also  knew  that  God  had  given  it  for  her  good.  But  the 
devil  did  not  consider  himself  beaten.     If  he  cannot  accomplish 


Practical  Examples  639 

his  purpose  one  way,  he  tries  another.  So  he  thinks  quickly 
and  forms  another  plan  hy  which  he  can  gain  his  end  and  bring 
Eve  to  disobey.  Stop,  he  says  to  himself,  Eve  thinks  that  God 
gave  the  command  out  of  love,  because  He  is  seeking  her  highest 
good.  This  faith  I  must  take  from  her.  T  must  induce  her  to 
think  that  God  gave  this  command  out  of  envy  and  not  out  of 
love — not  because  He  means  well  with  her,  but  because  He 
does  not  wish  her  to  have  the  best.  Therefore  he  quickly  re- 
plies to  the  woman  :  "You  shall  surely  not  die  if  you  eat  of  the 
fruit  of  this  tree.  God  has  lied.  He  well  knows  that  the  day 
you  eat  of  it,  you  shall  become  like  God,  knowing  good  and 
evil.  God  does  not  want  that  you  should  be  as  He,  therefore 
He  gave  that  command.  He  did  so  not  out  of  love,  but  from 
envy  and  jealousy".  What  the  devil  told  her  was  a  big  lie, 
and  lie  knew  that  he  lied.  But  he  did  not  care  for  that,  if 
only  he  could  bring  the  woman  to  believe  him  and  eat  of  the 
forbidden  fruit. 

Did  she  see  the  lie?  She  should  have  done  so;  for  she 
knew  God,  had  been  with  Him  long  enough,  and  had  often 
enough  beheld  how  holy  and  truthful  He  was  and  how  He 
loved  her  with  all  His  heart.  She  should  have  replied  to  the 
devil :  Depart  from  me.  I  will  not  listen  to  you.  God  is  not 
as  you  say.  Would  He  have  placed  Adam  and  me  in  this 
beautiful  garden  and  have  made  us  so  happy  if  He  had  been 
envious  and  jealous  of  us  instead  of  wishing  us  well?  Thus 
she  should  have  answered  and  thereby  have  smitten  the  devil 
a  second  time  and  have  remained  God's  dear  child.  Such 
thoughts  evidently  arose  in  her  mind,  but  other  thoughts  were 
now  becoming  active.  The  serpent  had  told  her  something  she 
could  not  forget.  It  was  this :  You  shall  be  as  God.  She 
thought  that  must  be  something  great,  to  be  like  God  and  to 
know  both  good  and  evil.  And  the  more  she  thought  of  this  the 
more  her  present  happiness  seemed  to  her  insignificant. 
It  was  with  her  as  sometimes  occurs  with  you  children.  Bread 
and  butter  tastes  delightful  to  you  until  you  see  a  nice,  fresh 
cake  lying  on  the  table;  then  you  suddenly  become  dissatisfied 
with  the  bread  and  want  the  cake.  Or,  how  satisfied  you  are 
to  be  in  the  house  with  mother,  until  you  see  the  children  play- 
ing outside!  Then  the  room  suddenly  becomes  too  narrow 
and   small,   and  you  think:     We  should  be  really  happy   if  we 


640  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

could  play  outside.  It  was  something  like  that  in  the  case  of 
Eve.  Paradise  was  suddenly  not  good  enough.  She  wanted 
more — to  be  like  God,  and,  like  He  is.  to  know  good  and  evil. 
She  forgot  entirely  to  ask  if  Satan  was  telling  the  truth  or  if 
he  was  lying  again.  She  forgot  that  God  is  certainly  not  envious 
and  that  He  cannot  lie.  She  heard  and  thought  only  one  thing: 
to  be  like  God.  Her  whole  heart  was  suddenly  full  of  that  de- 
sire. But  that  was  an  evil  desire;  it  came  into  her  heart  from  the 
devil  and  not  from  God.  But  she  did  not  ask  about  good  and 
evil,  she  yearned  after  but  one  thing — to  be  like  God.  And 
then,  children.  Eve  lifted  up  her  eyes  and  looked  at  the  fruit 
of  the  forbidden  tree.  Oh.  if  she  had  only  not  looked,  she 
might  still  have  considered  the  right  and  not  have  given  her  will 
over  to  evil  desire.  But  she  looked  up  and  examined  the  fruit 
on  all  sides,  and  because  it  looked  so  good  and  sweet  and  pro- 
mised to  taste  so  good;  because  she  believed  the  devil's  word 
that  it  would  make  her  like  God,  think,  O  children!  she  finally 
stretched  forth  her  hand,  took  the  forbidden  fruit,  ate  of  it  and 
gave  of  it  to  her  husband.  O  children,  the  angels  in  heaven  must 
certainly  have  wept,  and  it  must  have  cut  God  to  the  heart; 
for  now  the  first  people  had  believed  the  devil  more  than  God ! 
Now  the  command  was  transgressed  and  the  first  sin  committed 
upon  earth  !  Now  were  come  upon  earth  death  and  all  manner 
of  misfortune.  "By  one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and 
death  by  sin;  and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all 
have  sinned".  The  devil  was  the  cause,  for  he  deceived  the 
first  people;  but  they  were  not  blameless,  because  they  believed 
the  devil  more  than  God.  If  they  had  resisted  the  devil,  he 
would  have  fled,  but  they  listened  to  him  and  did  his  will. 
Therefore  :  Be  not  deceived !  Evil  communications  corrupt  good 
manners.  Resist  the  devil  and  he  will  flee  from  you.  Children, 
when  evil  companions  entice  you,  follow  them  not.  There  are 
many  sad  days,  but  the  saddest  of  all,  as  dark  as  midnight, 
is  that  day  on  which  the  first  people  sinned. 

7.  Review  and  drill  at  the  end  of  a  longer  section: 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  history  of  Abraham's  life.  A) 
Bible  story:  1.  Captions  of  main  and  subordinate  divisions  of 
history. — 2.  Character  sketch  of  Abraham:  a)  toward  God: 
pious,  god-fearing,  obedient,  believing;  he  fears,  loves,  trusts 
God  above  all  things;  is  grateful  and  humble,     b)  toward  men: 


Practical  Examples  641 

peaceable,  unselfish,  merciful,  helpful,  courageous,  valiant,  noble, 
hospitable,  polite,  friendly;  an  interceder,  a  faithful  husband, 
a  providing  father,  a  good,  kind  master  to  his  servants,  a  faith- 
ful head  of  the  home  who  teaches  God's  word  to  all  his  house- 
hold. 3.  The  promises  given  him,  which  were  already  fulfilled; 
the  three  great  promises,  great  nation,  land,  blessing  to  all 
people. — 4.  Character  sketch  of  Eliezer.— 5.  Character  sketch  of 
Sarah  and  Rebecca. — B)  Doctrine:  1.  God's  essence  and  at- 
tributes: almighty,  truthful,  faithful,  long-sufifering,  patient, 
merciful,  but  also  righteous,  jealous,  holy,  impatient  of  evil. 
2.  Human  Virtues  and  Weaknesses.— Which  virtues  did  Abra- 
ham exhibit  toward  God  and  men?  Which  Eliezer;  Rebecca? 
Which  did  Lot  show;  which  Sarah?  On  what  occasion  did 
they  show  them?  What  should  a  master,  the  head  of  a  family, 
a  husband,  a  wife,  a  servant,  be  like? — Especially  the  conceptions 
of  idolatry,  unselfishness,  magnanimity,  hospitality,  worldliness, 
and  immodesty,  still  largely  alien  to  the  child  mind,  should  be 
diligently  reviewed  and  explained.  3.  Religious  concepts: 
Altar,  covenant,  oath.  4.  Parts  of  Catechism  as  rerived  from 
the  several  Bible  stories.  5.  Stanzas  of  hymns.  6.  A  review  of 
the  geographical  material  and  of  that  pertaining  to  cultural 
history  should  not  be  forgotten. — From  F.  Zange,  Leitfaden  fuer 
den  ev.  Religionsunterricht,  vol.  I  and  II,  1906.  A  simpler  ar- 
rangement would  be  to  assign  central  position  to  the  subject: 
Abraham  the  Father  of  the  Faithful,  and  to  group  all  material 
around  it. 

As  a  basis  for  a  review  of  the  entire  history  of  Israel, 
Isaiah  5.  1 — 7,  is  particularly  adapted,  the  class  to  show  in  de- 
tail 1.  What  God  did  for  His  people  since  their  redemption  from 
Egypt;  2.  How  sour  instead  of  sweet  grapes  grew  on  the  vine 
of  His  planting;  3.  How  the  Israelites  incurred  His  Wrath. 

8.  Insertion  of  the  geographical  element  and  of  that  of 
cultural  history  at  the  proper  place  for  a  broader  survey,  a) 
Israel  entered  into  Canaan  and  the  Lord  gave  His  people  rest 
from  all  their  enemies  and  showed  them  all  the  kindness  He 
had  promised.  The  teacher  adds  the  following:  The  Israelites 
fared  very  well  in  their  new  land.  The  shepherds  in  the  land 
east  of  Jordan  and  in  the  mountains  of  Tudah  lived  in  tents, 
but  among  the  rest  of  the  Israelites  each  family  had  its  own 
house,  and  an  arbor  of  grape  vines  around  it.     The  vines  grew 


642  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

rank  and  luxuriant,  climbing  all  over  the  arbor  and  covering 
the  flat  roof  of  the  house.  In  summer  and  autumn  there  was  a 
roof  of  grapes  from  the  arbor  to  the  house.  What  advantage 
was  there  in  that  for  the  people?  (Plenty  of  shade.)  It  was 
their  delight  to  spend  their  time  there  in  the  shade.  Only 
when  they  could  not  remain  outside,  did  they  go  into  the  house. 
When  was  that?  (At  night  and  when  it  rained.)  Of  course, 
their  houses  were  not  so  comfortably  arranged  as  ours;  for 
they  had  only  one  room,  with  one  door  and  no  windows.  You 
already  know  what  kind  of  roof  they  had.  What  kind  was 
it?  You  would  not  care  to  live  in  such  houses,  but  the  Israelites 
were  well  satisfied.  Why?  They  knew  of  no  other  kind,  and 
they  needed  nothing  different,  for  they  could  be  all  day  outside. 
— Summary :     House. 

It  was  delightful  out  of  doors.  About  the  towns  and  vil- 
lages stretched  the  fields  and  meadows.  What  grew  on  the 
meadows?  What  grew  in  the  fields?  (Wheat  and  barley.) 
On  the  hillsides  were  forests  of  oak  and  pine  trees,  groves  of 
palms,  orange,  and  citron  gardens.  What  fruit  was  there  in 
profusion?  Besides,  there  were  fine  apples,  plums,  apricots, 
peaches,  almonds,  Saint  John's  bread,  and  the  like.  There  also 
grew  the  fruit  of  which  the  spies  brought  samples.  Do  you 
recall  what  they  were?  Already  in  January,  when  we  have  snow 
and  ice.  the  almond  tree  was  blooming  there,  and  the  fields 
were  covered  with  violets,  tulips,  lilies,  etc.  At  the  end  of 
April  the  barley  harvest  began,  and  at  the  end  of  May,  the 
wheat  harvest.  Then  came  the  fig  harvest,  and  from  August 
on  the  grape  and  olive  harvest.  You  know  what  olive  oil  is ; 
for  what  purpose  is  it  used?  This  oil  is  made  from  olives. 
Olives  grow  on  trees  about  the  size  and  color  of  our  plum 
trees,  and  are  of  different  shades.  There  are  blue,  black,  red, 
white  and  green  olives.  They  are  pressed  and  the  oil  that 
comes  from  them  is  valuable.  Olive-trees  are  also  called  oil- 
trees.  Upon  what  mountain  to  which  Jesus  often  went  with 
His  disciples  were  there  such  trees?  From  what  did  this  moun- 
tain get  its  name? — Summary,   fruits  of  that  land. 

The  Israelites  worked  diligently  in  this  beautiful  land. 
Seed-time  came  in  October.  What  did  they  do  then?  That  was 
done  as  soon  as  the  first  rain  fell.  From  the  end  of  October 
pntil  the  beginning  of  March  there  was  much  rain.    What  time 


Practical  Examples  643 

of  the  year  is  that  with  us?  But  there  was  also  plenty  to  do 
during  the  rainy  season,  especially  when  heavy  rains  damaged 
the  vine-yards.  What  damage?  (Ground  washed  away,  vines 
washed  out,  vine-yard  walls  undermined  and  thrown  down, 
etc.)  What  did  they  then  have  to  do? — The  last  part  of  March 
and  the  beginning  of  April  was  the  short  rainy  period.  This  they 
called  the  late  rain.  After  that  the  sun  shone  hot  from  the 
cloudless  sky,  and  the  grain  soon  ripened.  Which  ripened  first? 
Then  began  a  season  of  continual  labor.  What  had  to  be 
done  with  the  ripe  grain?  Where  do  we  put  the  sheaves  from 
the  field?  The  Israelites  had  at  that  time  no  barns,  and  so 
they  threshed  the  grain  upon  large  flat  places  in  the  fields, 
which  they  called  threshing  floors.  These  floors  were  circular 
in  shape  and  were  surrounded  by  a  low  wall.  How  do  we 
thresh  the  grain?  With  flails  and  threshing-machines.  The 
Israelites  filled  the  threshing  floor  with  grain  and  then  drove 
oxen  and  cows  around  over  it  all  day.  How  did  the  grain 
get  out  of  the  ears?  (It  was  trodden  out  by  the  animals.)  Then 
the  grain  had  to  be  separated  from  the  straw.  In  the  evening, 
when  the  sea  wind  blew,  the  men  took  a  shovel  and  threw  the 
trodden  grain  in  the  air.  What  then  happened  with  the  heavy 
grain?  (It  fell  upon  the  floor.)  And  what  happened  to  the 
lighter  straw?  (It  was  blown  away.) — Summary,  Seed-time  and 
harvest. 

Harvesting  was  joyful  work.  By  what  do  we  know  this? 
(Their  singing.)  At  this  season  all  the  people  remained  in 
the  fields  day  and  night,  masters  as  well  as  laborers.  Why? 
(To  guard  against  thieves  and  fire.)  They  also  prepared  their 
meals  there;  but,  naturally,  they  were  very  simple.  Ears  of 
grain  were  roasted  at  the  fire,  then  rubbed  out  and  eaten.  Or 
the  grain  was  ground  between  stones.  What  was  made  of  the 
grain?  (Flour;  really  groats.)  The  meal  was  then  mixed 
with  water  into  dough  and  thin  cakes  were  then  baked  of  it. 
And  how  did  they  quench  their  thirst?  (With  water.)  They 
mixed  the  water  with  vinegar.  Why?  (Such  a  drink  quenches 
thirst  much  better.)  Where  did  they  then  carry  the  grain? 
(Into  barns.)  There  was  little  wood  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
and  to  build  barns  was  too  costly.  So  they  made  great  caves 
in  the  earth. — Summary,  Harvest. 

The    grape    harvest    was    still    more    joyful.      During    the 


644  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

grape  season,  from  August  to  November,  the  entire  family  lived 
in  the  vineyard.     In  nearly  every  vineyard  there  was  a  tower. 
Wiry?     (To  stay  at  night  and  in  case  of  rain.)     Why  did  the 
people  stay  so  long  in  the  vineyard?     (There  was  much  work 
to   be   done   there.)      The   grapes    grew   much   more   luxuriantly 
there  than  they  do  for  us.     Many  a  grape-vine  was  as  thick  as 
a  tree  and  bore  grapes  without  number.     Such  a  vine  bore  as 
many  as  a  thousand  clusters  of  grapes.    What  did  they  make  out 
of  so  many  grapes?     (They  cooked  them  into  grape  honey  and 
prepared   them   for   wine.)      The   wine   they   made   in  the   wine- 
press.    That  was   a  place  sunk  in  the  ground,  or  hewn  out  of 
a  rock,  about  2  meters  long,  2  meters  wide  and  a  half  meter 
deep.     (Show  the  size.)     The  men  tramped  upon  the  grapes  in 
this  wine-press.     What  flowed  out  of  them?     (The  juice.)     Be- 
fore every  wine-press  there  was  a  deep  place  hewn  out  of  the 
rock,  and  a  trench  led  from  the  press  to  this  basin.    In  the  press 
and   at   the   mouth   of  the   trench   there   was   a   grating.     Why? 
(To   serve   as   a   sieve   and   hold   back   the  grape-skins.)     What 
were    the    Israelites    as    long    as    they    were    in    the    vineyards? 
(Vine-dressers  or  wine-growers.)     Why  were  these  wine-grow- 
ers so  happy  at  their  work?     (Good  harvest,  juicy  grapes,  sweet 
must.)     How  did  they  show  their  joy?     (By  song,  music  with 
harp   and   zither,   cymbals,    dancing.) — Summary,   Wine   harvest, 
b)   Geographical   description   of  a  specific   place.     Nazareth. 
The  home  of  Jesus  was  a  small,  unimportant  place,  but  beauti- 
fully situated  in  the  midst  of  the  province  of  Galilee.     You  can 
see    this    from    the    picture    of    the    present-day    Nazareth    (En 
Nasira;  Picture  by  Langl).    A  description  of  this  picture  shows 
the    homes    of    the    nearly    7,000    inhabitants    scattered    over    the 
side    of   an    almost   unscalable    mountain.      Today   the    majority 
of  the  people  are  Christians.     The  place  is  surrounded  by  gar- 
dens of  olive  trees,  fig  trees,  palms,  and  cypresses.     The  houses 
are  of  stone  and  have  flat  roofs,  as  is  the  custom  in  the  East. 
(Reminder    of    David.)      In    the    foreground    we    see    a    woman 
carrying  a  water  jar  upon  her  head.     She  is  coming  from  the 
tree-shaded   Virgin-spring   which   bubbles    in   the   valley   before 
the  town.    It  is  the  only  spring  in  Nazareth;  and  it  is  here  that 
Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  may,  with  the  child  Jesus,  have  often 
drawn   water.     Farther   down,   but   still    on   the  heights    around 
the  town,  are  the  orchards,  with  cultivated  fields  between.    Far- 


Practical  Examples  645 

ther  in  the  background  are  the  less  fertile  heights  which  serve 
as  pasture  for  the  sheep  and  the  goats.  Beyond  the  heights 
stretches  the  road  to  the  fruitful  Plain  of  Jezreel,  watered  by 
the  Kison  (Reminder  of  Elijah),  and  surrounded  in  the  blue 
distance  by  the  ranges  of  the  Mt.  Carmel  mountains.  If  we 
could  climb  to  the  summit  of  the  moutain  with  those  two  Fran- 
ciscan monks,  whose  cloister,  however,  is  not  visible  on  the 
picture,  we  should  see  to  the  far  South  the  mountains  of  Gil- 
boa.  (Reminder  of  Saul's  death.)  We  should  further  behold 
the  steep  heights  of  Tabor  in  the  East,  the  mountains  of  Galilee 
to  the  North,  and  beyond  them  the  peaks  of  Lebanon  and  Her- 
mon,  snow-covered  even  in  summer,  and  the  Mediterranean 
Sea   in   the   far   distant   west. — Bittdorf,   Methodik. 

2.    Instruction  in  the  Catechism. 

1.     A   Catechization   With   Which  to   Begin  the  Instruction  of 
the   Catechumens. 

The  catechist  sings  with  the  children  the  first  three  verses 
of  the  hymn,  "Little  Children  Come  to  Jesus",  reads  Mark 
10,  13 — 16,  and  says  a  short  prayer.  Then  he  begins  his  cate- 
chization in  the  following  manner  : 

Aim:  Dear  Children!  We  would  hear  today  that  the  Sa- 
vior wants  to  have  also  you  children  with  Him  to  bless  you. 

1.  Developing  the  truth  from  the  intuitional  material.  Among 
all  the  stories  of  the  Bible  I  know  one  which  should  be  espe- 
cially dear  to  you  and  all  children.  It  is  so  beautiful  that  the 
picture  of  it  should  hang  in  every  Christian  school.  I  know  of 
none  which  shows  more  clearly  that  the  Lord  Jesus  dearly 
loves  children.  Of  what  am  I  thinking?  Yes,  the  story  of 
Jesus  blessing  the  little  children.  That  is  a  true  children's 
story,  and  one  can  imagine  nothing  more  lovely.  We  want  to 
study  it  more  closely.  It  was  upon  a  day  when  many  people 
had  again  followed  Jesus  and  He  had  been  ceaselessly  teach- 
ing them  and  healing  their  sick.  It  was,  therefore,  a  day  of 
extreme  exertion  for  the  Lord.  Finally  came  the  mothers, 
pressing  through  the  crowd  and  bringing  their  children  to 
Jesus.  The  larger  ones  they  led  by  the  hand;  the  smaller  ones 
they  carried  in  their  arms.  What  was  the  Lord  Jesus  to  do 
for  these  little  ones?     He  was  to  touch  and  bless  them.     That 


646  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

was  a  pious  wish.  Those  mothers  had  seen  that  the  sick  were 
healed;  that  the  blind  received  their  sight,  and  that  the  lame 
walked  when  Jesus  laid  His  hand  upon  them.  They  had  also 
seen  that  it  was  good  to  be  in  the  presence  of  Jesus,  and  had 
beheld  how  great  a  blessing  came  from  Jesus  upon  all  whom  He 
touched.  For  whom  did  they  wish  such  a  blessing?  For  their 
children.  Was  there  something  lacking,  or  were  they  sick? 
No.  Then  what  kind  of  blessing  did  these  mothers  want  for 
their  children  if  they  were  not  sick?  A  blessing  for  their  souls. 
Such  it  would  have  been,  even  if  these  mothers  had  not  known 
what  they  wished  for  their  children.  They  surely  wished  their 
children  to  become  good,  pious  children.  But  Jesus  had  labored 
the  whole  day  and  was  weary.  What  does  one  desire  when 
he  is  weary?  He  seeks  rest.  What  would  Jesus  then  gladly 
have  done?  He  would  gladly  have  rested.  Yes,  we  can  well 
think  so ;  for  although  our  Savior  was  also  true  God,  He  was  at 
the  same  time  true  man;  and,  while  here  on  earth,  He  often 
became  weary  like  other  men.  Who  else  must  have  thought 
that  the  Savior  wished  to  rest?  The  disciples.  What  did  they 
therefore  do  when  they  saw  these  mothers  coming  with  their 
children?  They  forbade  them.  Yes,  they  motioned  to  them 
with  their  hands  that  they  should  stay  away.  And  as  that  did 
not  keep  them  back,  they  spoke  to  them  with  hard  words.  And 
when  that  did  not  stop  them,  the  disciples  threatened  them  with 
force.  What,  under  the  circumstances,  did  it  seem  impossible 
for  these  mothers  to  do?  To  get  near  to  Jesus.  It  seemed  as 
though  they  would  have  to  leave  without  accomplishing  their 
purpose.  Who,  then,  took  the  matter  in  hand?  The  Lord  Jesus. 
How  did  He  feel  when  He  saw  what  was  happening?  He  was 
much  displeased.  With  whom?  With  the  mothers  who  were 
coming  to  disturb  His  rest?  Oh,  no,  with  the  disciples.  Why? 
Because  they  would  not  let  the  mothers  come  with  their  chil- 
dren. What  did  Jesus  say  to  His  disciples?  Suffer  the  little 
children  to  come  unto  Ale.  and  forbid  them  not.  He  knew  that 
these  mothers  were  eager  to  bring  their  children  to  Him;  and 
what  must  He  have  wished  when  He  rebuked  His  disciples? 
He  wanted  to  have  the  children  with  Him.  But  was  He  not 
weary  in  consequence  of  His  much  preaching  and  healing  of 
the  sick?  Certainly  He  was  weary.  If  He  was  weary  and  yet 
wanted   the    children   to   be   permitted   to    come   to   Him,    which 


Practical  Examples  647 

was  to  Him  most  important,  to  rest  or  to  have  the  children  with 
Him  and  to  rejoice  with  them?  To  have  them  with  Him  and  to 
rejoice  with  them.  Yes,  children,  we  have  such  a  Savior  who 
forgets  all  weariness  when  souls  come  to  Him  and  desire  His 
blessing.  Even  when  it  is  who  that  comes?  Even  when  it  is 
children.'  Therefore  we  learn  from  this  history :  Jesus  wants 
the  children  to  be  with  Him,  even  when  He  is  weary.  He  al- 
ways has  time  for  them.  Let  us  say  that  together.  Again ! 
Again !  Anna,  say  it  alone.  Frank,  repeat  it.  Now  I  shall 
write  it  on  the  blackboard. 

The  disciples  did  not  wish  to  let  the  mothers  come  to 
Jesus  with  their  children  because  He  was  tired  and  needed 
rest.  Can  you  give  another  reason  why  they  probably  wanted 
to  turn  these  mothers  away?  Because  they  thought  that  Jesus 
could  do  nothing  for  these  children.  That  He  could  be  a 
Savior  for  grown  folk  they  had  learned  from  His  dealings 
with  them  and  others,  but'  how  could  He  help  these  little  ones, 
who  could  not  even  understand  what  He  said?  However,  who 
must  have  trusted  that  He  could  give  something  to  these  chil- 
dren? The  mothers  must  have  so  trusted.  Otherwise  what 
would  they  certainly  not  have  done?  They  would  not  have  tried 
so  hard  to  force  their  way  to  Him  with  their  children.  Upon 
whose  side  did  Jesus  place  Himself,  that  of  the  disciples  or 
that  of  the  mothers?  Upon  the  side  of  the  mothers.  What  did 
He  say  that  He  could  and  would  give  the  children?  The  King- 
dom of  Heaven.  What  are  His  exact  words?  For  of  such  is 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Not  only  grown  folk,  but  also  chil- 
dren can  be  His  disciples  and  therewith  members  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  No  one — no  one  will  be  shut  out  unless  he 
shuts  himself  out.  The  Lord  Jesus  has  expressed  himself 
emphatically  with  regard  to  this,  in  His  words  to  His  disciples. 
Who  knows  what  these  words  are?  "Verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom",  etc.  Like  whom  must 
therefore  the  grown  folks  become  before  Jesus  can  use  them 
in  His  kingdom?  Like  the  children.  The  Lord  Jesus  did  not 
thereby  mean  that  the  disciples  and  all  adults  must  again  be- 
come small  and  weak  like  the  children,  but  He  means  that  the 
grown-ups  must  become  as  open  and  receptive  for  the  good  and 
heavenly  as  children  are  in  comparison  with  their  elders  be- 
fore He  can  use  them  in  His  kingdom.    The  disciples  must  have 


648  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

opened  their  eyes  widely  at  these  words.  They  thought  that 
Jesus  could  do  nothing  for  whom?  For  the  children.  And 
who  must  have  rejoiced  at  these  words  of  Jesus?  The  mothers. 
Yes,  indeed,  for  they  perceived  that  Jesus  could  give  the  chil- 
dren much  more  than  they  thought.  How  did  Jesus  prove  be- 
fore all  people  that  He  can  be  something  to  the  children*?  What 
did  He  do  with  them?  He  blessed  them.  More  exactly!  He 
took  them  up  in  His  arms,  put  His  hands  upon  them,  and  blessed 
them.  There  you  see  the  true  friend  of  children,  who  casts 
no  one  out,  who  also  presses  the  smallest  and  least  to  His 
heart  and  would  give  them  all  the  blessings  of  His  heavenly 
kingdom.  Let  us  note  :  Jesus  can  and  will  give  also  children 
His  heavenly  gifts.  Let  us  repeat  that  together  a  number  of 
times.  John,  say  it  alone.  Louis,  do  the  same.  And  now 
I  shall  also  write  this  upon  the  blackboard.  How  many  things 
have  we  thus  far  learned  from  our  history?  Two.  What  is  the 
first?  Jesus  wants  the  children  to  be  with  Him,  even  when  He 
is  weary.  What  is  the  second?  Jesus  can  and  will  give  also 
children  His  heavenly  gifts. 

2.  Comparison.  The  Lord  Jesus  always  showed  that  He  had 
a  place  in  His  heart  for  the  children.  Take  your  New  Testa- 
ments and  turn  to  the  Gospel  of  Matthew,  chapter  18.  Read 
verses  1 — 4.  About  what  were  the  disciples  at  strife?  Which 
one  of  them  was  to  be  greatest  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 
Where  did  they  therefore  all  expect  to  be  together?  In  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven.  They  felt  certain  of  that;  but  about  what 
did  they  contend?  Which  of  them  was  to  be  the  greatest — 
the  chief,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven?  That  one  or  the  other  of 
them  might  never  get  into  heaven  was  not  questioned  by  any 
of  them.  They  had  forsaken  all  and  had  followed  Jesus,  and 
how  could  they  be  shut  out  when  Jesus  should  as  king  set  up 
His  kingdom?  What  did  the  Lord  Jesus  do  to  awaken  the  dis- 
ciples from  their  dream  of  security?  He  took  a  child  that  hap- 
pened to  be  in  the  house  and  placed  it  in  the  midst  of  the 
disciples.     And  what   did  He  say  to   them?     Read   it  in  verses 

3    and   4.     "Verily   I    say   unto   you greatest    in   the 

Kingdom  of  Heaven."  About  which  question  should  the  dis- 
ciples therefore  not  argue?  Who  of  them  should  be  greatest 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  But  of  what  should  they  strive  to 
be  certain?     That,  above  all  things,  they  should  enter  the  King- 


Practical  Examples  649 

dorn  of  Heaven.  And  on  what  condition  only  were  they  to 
enter  it?  That  they  became  converted  and  became  as  little  chil- 
dren. As  small  and  weak  and  ignorant  as  little  children? 
No,  as  willing,  simple,  and  humble  as  they.  Who,  therefore, 
will  go  into  the  Kingdom  of  God  before  them,  according  to 
Jesus'  words?  The  children.  Hence,  Jesus  must  have  deter- 
mined to  receive  also  whom  into  His  kingdom?  The  children. 
Certainly.  What  He  here  says  is  the  same  as  when  He  says  : 
Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  Me;  for  of  such  is  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven. — Later,  when  Jesus  rode  into  Jerusalem 
on  Palm  Sunday,  He  declared  that  the  children  had  understood 
Him  better  than  many  grown  people,  and  that  they  gave  Him 
great  cause  for  joy.  Open  your  Testaments  at  Matthew  the 
21st    chapter.     John,    read   verses    15    and    16.      "And    when   the 

chief    priests perfected     praise."       You    know    that 

when  Jesus  rode  into  Jerusalem  on  Palm  Sunday  a  great  pro- 
cession of  people  praised  Him.  And  that  was  so  contagious  that 
also  who  joined  in?  The  children.  What  did  they  shout? 
"Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David."  They  did  right,  for  Jesus 
desired  to  set  up  His  kingdom,  in  which  they  too  should  be 
welcomed  and  receive  all  that  they  needed.  Who  only  stood 
by  and  grudged  Jesus  this  joyous  reception?  The  chief  priests 
and  scribes?  What,  according  to  their  opinion,  should  Jesus 
have   done?     He   should  have  silenced  the  children.     But  what 

did    Jesus    reply?      "Have    ye    never    read perfected 

praise?"  Yes,  He  took  the  children  under  His  protection  and 
said  that  they  were  doing  precisely  what  they  should  do ;  and 
that  what  the  Psalmist  once  said  of  the  babes  and  sucklings, 
they  were  doing,  namely,  praising  God  for  setting  up  His 
kingdom.  Thus  we  again  see  how  much  Jesus  loved  the  chil- 
dren and  how  He  had  determined  to  receive  them  into  His 
kingdom  and  to  bless  them  therein.  That  which  we  learned 
from  the  history  of  Jesus  blessing  the  little  children  is  entirely 
correct.  What  was  it?  1.  Jesus  wants  the  children  to  be  with 
Him,  even  when  He  is  weary.  2.  Jesus  can  and  will  give  also 
children  His  heavenly  gifts. 

3.  Valuation.  In  what  did  Jesus  desire  to  give 
children  a  part?  In  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Is  that  anything 
so  very  great  and  precious?  We  will  consider  this  more 
closely.     Tell   me,   is    it   something  great   to  be   the  child  of  a 


650  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

king?  Yes,  it  is  something  great.  The  child  of  a  king  has 
everything  it  needs.  There  are  many  servants  who  wait  upon  it 
and  fulfil  every  wish ;  and  when  the  child  has  grown  up,  sooner 
or  later,  it  will  help  rule  the  land.  The  greater  the  kingdom, 
the  greater  is  the  glory  of  such  a  king's  child.  When  it  was 
expected  that  a  son  would  be  born  to  Emperor  Napoleon,  they 
had  a  golden  cradle  ready,  in  which  they  afterward  laid  the 
child.  Whose  kingdom  is  greater  than  that  of  any  king  or 
emperor  on  earth?  The  Kingdom  of  God.  Who  will  therefore 
have  it  better  and  more  glorious,  one  who  has  part  in  an  earth- 
ly kingdom  or  one  who  has  part  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven? 
He  who  has  part  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Where  is  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven? — You  can  not  tell?  The  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  is  where  Jesus  Christ  is.  He  who  has  Jesus  Christ  as 
his  friend  and  helper  is  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  and  he  is 
far  better  off  than  the  son  of  the  richest  king  upon  earth. 
Jesus  can  bless  better,  protect  better,  and  comfort  better  than 
any  king  upon  earth.  What  did  Peter  say  when  He  saw  Jesus 
upon  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration?  It  is  good  to  be  here. 
Peter  was  right,  children !  Nowhere  is  it  better  than  with 
Jesus.  Therefore  we  sing  in  church,  "Who  is,  Jesus  blessed, 
Like  to  Thee,  sweet  Rest?"  Ask  the  disciples;  ask  John,  who 
lay  upon  His  breast;  ask  the  children  whom  He  embraced  and 
kissed;  ask  Mary  the  sister  of  Martha,  who  knew  nothing 
sweeter  than  to  be  with  Jesus  !  The  person  who  is  with  Jesus 
is  blessed;  for  he  has  all  that  he  needs,  even  when  he  becomes 
sick  and  poor,  even  in  trouble  and  under  the  cross.  Instead 
of  saying.  The  Kingdom  of  God  is  where  Jesus  is,  we  can  also 
say,  The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  there  where  we  have  God  as  our 
Father  and  are  become  His  children.  When  is  a  child  happiest 
and  most  blessed, — when  it  is  with  whom?  When  it  is  with 
father  and  mother.  Why  were  Adam  and  Eve  so  happy  and 
blessed  in  Paradise?  Because  God  was  a  father  to  them  and 
they  could  speak  to  Him  as  children.  When  shall  we  be  hap- 
piest? When  God  is  our  father  and  we  are  His  children.  Yes, 
children,  that  is  the  true  blessedness.  Even  Heaven  itself 
would  be  of  no  benefit  to  us,  if  God  would  not  be  there  as  our 
father  and  we  as  His  children. 

4.  Application.    Of  those  children  in  the  story  whose  moth- 
ers  brought  them  to  Jesus,   He   said :     "Of  such   is   the  King- 


Practical  Examples  651 

dorn  of  Heaven",  and  we  have  just  learned  that  to  be  in  heaven 
means  nothing  less  than  to  be  with  whom?  With  the  Lord 
Jesus.  And  to  have  whom  as  father?  To  have  God  as  father. 
And  what  is  man's  condition  when  he  is  with  Jesus  and  has 
God  as  his  father?  He  is  blessed,  and  under  no  other  condition. 
Have  you  been  brought  to  Jesus  ?  Yes.  When  were  you  brought 
to  Jesus?  When  I  was  baptized.  Who  brought  you  to  Jesus? 
My  Parents.  What  must  they  have  thought  of  Baptism  if 
they  had  you  baptized?  They  must  have  thought  that  Bap- 
tism was  good  and  beneficial.  Yes,  they  knew  that,  in  Bap- 
tism, the  Lord  Jesus  would  bless  you  as  He  blessed  those  chil- 
dren who  were  brought  to  Him.  They  had  learned  from  the 
words  of  Jesus  that  He  wanted  also  whom  with  Him?  The 
children.  And  that  He  could  and  would  help  also  whom?  The 
children.  They  had  learned  that  He  wanted  to  give  the  chil- 
dren a  share  in  what?  In  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  They  well 
knew  that  to  be  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  meant  the  same  as 
what?  As  being  with  Jesus  and  having  God  as  their  father. 
And  it  was  also  known  to  them  that  you  would  be  in  what  con- 
dition, too,  if  you  were  with  Jesus  and  had  God  as  your  father? 
That  we  should  be  happy  and  blessed.  Yes,  that  is  why  your 
parents  brought  you  to  Jesus  in  Holy  Baptism.  They  wanted 
you  to  be  with  Jesus,  to  have  God  as  your  father,  and  thus  to 
be  happy  and  blessed  children.  See  how  well  they  meant  it ! 
But  is  it  really  true  that,  by  Baptism,  one  gets  God  as  his  father 
and  becomes  His  child?  Yes.  The  Apostle  Paul  was  strongly 
convinced  of  this  truth  ;  for  when  he  writes  in  his  letter  to  Titus 
(open  New  Testament  at  place)  :  "According  to  His  mercy 
He  saved  us  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  etc.",  he  means  noth- 
ing else  than  this.  Before  he  believed  on  Jesus  and  was  bap- 
tized by  Ananias  in  Damascus,  he  was  not  with  Jesus,  God  was 
not  his  father  and  he  was  certainly  not  blessed.  On  the  other 
hand,  he  was  very  unhappy  and  had  no  peace  with  God.  But 
when  he  believed  and  was  baptized,  he  was  as  if  new-born, 
happy,  and  blessed ;  for  then  he  knew  that  God  was  his  father 
and  he  was  God's  child,  and  could  say :  Now,  with  all  my  sins 
and  in  every  need  I  can  go  to  Him  with  all  assurance  and 
confidence.  Paul  also  thought  of  this  when  he  wrote  to  the 
Galatians  (find  place  in  Testament)  :  "Ye  are  all  the  children 
of  God,  etc.".     All  who  believe  in  Christ  and  are  baptized  are 


652  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

God's  children,  and  Jesus  surrounds  them  all  with  His  presence 
and  protection,  as  the  clothing  we  put  on  covers  the  body. 
Paul's  baptism  was  considered  by  him  to  be  the  great  turning- 
point  in  his  life.  Before  that,  he  was  without  Jesus,  without  the 
Father,  and  therefore,  instead  of  being  blessed,  lost  and  con- 
demned ;  after  being  baptized,  he  was  with  Jesus  and  the 
Father,  and  therefore  blessed,  So,  then,  when  did  Paul's  bless- 
edness begin?  With  his  baptism.  Not  only  when,  therefore, 
did  he  consider  himself  blessed?  After  his  death  and  in  heaven. 
Hence  he  did  not  write :  God  shall  save  us,  but :  God  hath 
saved  us ;  He  has  already  done  so.  And  as  it  was  with  Paul, 
so,  dear  children,  is  it  with  us,  with  you.  Also  you  are  saved 
through  Baptism  and  have  received  full  salvation;  for  you 
have  been  brought  to  Jesus.  He  bestowed  His  kingdom  upon 
you  in  that  He  became  your  Savior  and  Friend,  and  God  your 
father.  The  salvation  which  you  shall  have  in  heaven  grows 
out  of  that  salvation  which  was  given  you  in  Baptism,  as  the 
apple-tree  grows  from  the  seed.  Whoever  is  not  saved  on  earth 
will  not  be  saved  in  heaven;  for  to  be  saved  means  nothing 
else  than  to  be  with  Jesus,  to  have  God  as  father  and  to  be 
His  child.  Let  us  repeat  that !  Again !  By  what  means  were 
you  brought  to  Jesus,  get  God  as  your  father  and  become 
His  children?  Through  Baptism.  Oh,  then  Baptism  is  some- 
thing great  and  glorious.  A  certain  French  king  once  said : 
"The  three  handfuls  of  water  with  which  I  was  sprinkled  in 
my  baptism  are  more  precious  than  the  royal  crown  which 
I  now  wear  upon  my  head".  A  baptized  child  is  like  the  child 
of  a  king  in  its  cradle;  salvation  is  just  as  certain  to  him  as  is 
the  crown  to  the  king's  son.  Nay,  he  is  much  more  fortunate, 
for  the  king's  child  must  wait  many  years  after  its  birth  before 
it  receives  the  crown,  while  the  child  that  is  baptized  receives 
salvation  immediately  in  Baptism.  The  Lord  Jesus  takes  it 
and  blesses  it,  makes  of  it  a  child  of  God,  which  can  always 
with  all  confidence  go  to  God  as  a  child  to  its  father.  So  you 
who  are  baptized  are  not  the  losers  thereby.  You  have  received 
.in  Baptism  greater  salvation  than  those  children  who  wrere 
brought  to  Jesus  by  their  mothers.  And  if  you  have  been 
brought  to  Jesus  by  Baptism,  have  God  as  your  father  and  are 
in  truth  saved,  what  should,  for  that  reason,  be  your  greatest 
care?     That   we   hold   fast   to   this    salvation   and   not   lose   it. 


Practical  Examples  653 

That  means  that  you  remain  what?  That  we  remain  God's 
children.  Yes,  children,  remain  with  Him,  with  Jesus,  with 
God  your  father.  And  to  this  end  may  these  hours  of  religious 
instruction  help — that  you   remain  the  children  of   God! 

So,  now  open  your  catechisms  and  read,  page  27:  ("That 
...  I  may  remain  a  child  of  God")  (the  lesson  to  be  assigned). 
Also  read  the  three  Scripture  passages  found  in  that  connec- 
tion. You  can  all  understand  this  now  very  well.  Memorize 
the  Scripture  passages  for  tomorrow.  But  we  first  want  to  re- 
peat each  of  them  several  times  together.  Read  carefully 
that  which  is  printed  in  large  type.  I  shall  ask  you  about  it 
tomorrow.  And  now,  since  we  have  been  brought  to  Jesus  by 
Baptism,  have  God  as  our  father,  and  therewith  are  in  pos- 
session of  salvation,  let  us  sing  a  hymn  on  Baptism.  I  will  read 
the  first  verses  and  then  you  may  read  them.  (Here  the  cate- 
chist  should  paraphrase  the  difficult  words.)  And  finally  we  will 
sing  them  together. 

2.    Second  Catechization  (outlined). 

•      Aim:     The   Holy  Scriptures  the  Book  of  all   Books. 

1.  Developing  the  truth  from  the  intuitional  material  at 
hand:  From  the  Scriptures  Jesus  shows  the  sad  disciples  on 
the  way  to  Emmaus,  who  believed  everything  to  be  lost  and 
who  could  nowhere  find  comfort  and  new  hope,  that  they  have 
no  reason  to  mourn.  He  shows  them  the  way  God  took  to  re- 
deem mankind  and  make  them  His  children,  and  also  the  ways 
they  now  must  go.  Their  hearts  rejoice  and  their  eyes  become 
bright.     They   now   understand   the   ways   of   God. 

2.  Comparison:  Philip  also  uses  the  Scriptures  when  he 
would  show  the  eunuch  of  Ethiopia  the  same,  and  the  latter 
is  thereby  led  to  Baptism  and  joyfully  goes  his  way.— The  Bere- 
ans  search  the  Scriptures  for  themselves;  and  each  new  dis- 
covery makes  them  the  more  certain  that  Jesus  is  the  Re- 
deemer through  whom  alone  they  can  become  and  remain  God's 
children.  The  grandmother  of  Timothy  instructs  him  in  the 
Scriptures  from  childhood,  and  Paul  directs  him  to  them  when 
he  has  reached  manhood,  as  the  book  that  can  make  him  wise 
unto    salvation. 

3.  Valuation:  Therefore  the  Scriptures  are  greater 
and    more    precious    than    all    other    books.        Therein    we    are 


654  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

instructed  concerning  the  highest  and  most  important  things. 
Therein  it  is  not  mere  men,  but  God  who  speaks  to  us.  2  Pet.  1, 
21.  Ask  the  psalmist  and  the  prophets  (Scripture  verses)  ;  ask 
Luther;  ask  many  great  ones  in  the  world,  and  many  a  humble 
mother.  You  will  find  that  they  have  all  learned  this :  By 
means  of  the  Bible  God  Himself  speaks  to  us,  instructs,  com- 
forts, admonishes  as  none  other.  If  we  would  show  the  heathen 
the  way  they  can  become  the  children  of  God,  we  take  the  Bible 
in  hand.  If  we  ourselves  want  to  learn  this  fact  anew,  we  hear 
it  from  the  Bible  through  preaching,  and  also  search  the  Word 
ourselves.    What  do  our  hymns  say? 

4.  Application.  And  now  we  also  want  to  learn  from  the 
Scriptures  how  we  became  God's  children  and  how  we  may  re- 
main such. — Search  the  Scriptures. — Show  how  that  is  done. — 
Compass — if  we  would  go  the  right  way,  we  must  always — 
give   indvidual    cases — examine  them. 

3.     A   Catechization   on   the    First   Commandment. 

The  catechist  sings  with  the  class  several  verses  of  the 
hymn.  "If  thou  but  suffer  God  to  guide  thee",  etc.,  reads  Ex- 
odus 14,  and  says  a  brief  prayer.  Then  he  reviews  the  pre- 
vious lesson,  whereby  the  present  one  is  introduced. 

Aim:  We  would  learn  that  children  of  God  should  trust 
in  God  above  all  things. 

1.  Developing  this  truth  from  the  intuitional  material. 

To  what  did  God  call  Moses  when  He  appeared  to  him  on 
Mount  Horeb  and  spoke  to  him  out  of  the  burning  bush? 
Moses  was  to  lead  Israel  out  of  Egypt.  Yes,  he  should  be  their 
deliverer.  That  was  a  difficult  task.  Why  was  it  a  difficult 
task?  Because  Pharao  did  not  want  to  let  them  go.  And  why 
was  it  for  Moses  especially  a  risky  matter  to  return  to  Egypt 
and  lead  Israel  out?  Because  he  was  once  compelled  to  flee 
from  Pharao.  What  did  Moses  say  when  God  assigned  him  this 
difficult  task?  He  did  not  want  to  go  and  raised  many  ob- 
jections. What  did  he  finally  say  to  God?  Send  whom  Thou 
wilt.  Moses  was  not  altogether  wrong.  Had  he  gone  to  Pharao 
in  his  own  strength  and  attempted  by  his  own  wisdom  to  lead 
Israel  out  of  Egypt,  he  had  better  not  have  undertaken  it.  He 
would  have  miserably  failed.  When  did  Moses  truly  experi- 
ence this?    When,  forty  years  before,  he  had  tried  it  by  his  own 


Practical  Examples  655 

wisdom  and  strength.  But  now  he  wanted  to  do  it  under  God's 
commission.  That  was  entirely  different.  What  could  he  right- 
ly expect  when  he  was  acting  by  God's  order?  That  God  would 
help  him.  Certainly.  God  also  promised  him  that  He  would  be 
with  him.  That  was  a  glorious  promise,  and  Moses  could  say 
to  himself:  Yes,  if  God  will  go  with  me,  I  will  make  the  ven- 
ture. He  is  mightier  than  Pharao  and  everything  else.  He  is 
the  creator  of  heaven  and  earth.  He  can  show  me  how  to  begin 
and  how  to  accomplish  the  work.  I  could  have  no  better  com- 
panion. If  he  is  for  me,  who  can  be  against  me?  When  God 
said  to  Moses,  I  will  go  with  thee,  He  after  a  manner  stretcheG 
out  His  hand  and  said  :  I  will  lead  thee.  And  what  did  Moses 
finally  do?  He  laid  his  hand  in  God's  hand  that' He  might  lead 
him.  And  of  what  could  Moses  be  certain  when  God  was  lead- 
ing him?  That  he  would  be  rightly  led.  Yes,  Moses  trusted 
God ;  for  when  one  is  given  a  hard  task  and  he  places  his  hand  in 
God's  hand  and  trusts  that  He  will  lead  him  aright,  that  he  will 
succeed  with  God's  help,  we  say  of  him  that  he  trusts  God.  We 
will  write  that  on  the  blackboard  :  He  who  trusts  God,  places 
his  hand  in  God's  hand  that  He  may  lead  him,  and  is  certain 
that  with  God's  help  he  can  accomplish  the  most  difficult  task. 
As  Moses  went  to  Egypt,  which  words  of  the  Lord  must 
have  been  constantly  ringing  in  his  ears?  The  words:  I  will 
be  with  thee.  Yes,  they  were  his  comfort,  and  gave  him 
constant,  fresh  courage.  When  his  brother  Aaron  met 
him  on  the  way  he  was  very  glad;  but  upon  whom  did  he  rely 
more  than  upon  Aaron?  Upon  God  the  Lord.  When  would 
Moses  later  especially  have  relied  upon  God's  assistance? 
When  he  had  to  go  to  the  children  of  Israel  and  tell  them  that 
God  had  appeared  to  him  and  commissioned  him  to  lead  them 
out  of  Egypt.  But  on  what  occasion  to  an  even  greater  degree? 
When  he  had  to  appear  before  Pharao.  Yes,  all  kinds  of 
thoughts  must  then  have  arisen  in  Moses'  mind,  such  as  these : 
Suppose  he  recognizes  you,  and  still  remembers  why  you  fled 
before,  and  imprisons  you,  or  has  you  killed !  With  such 
thoughts  as  these  it  would  not  have  been  surprising  if  he  had 
lost  courage  and  turned  away.  Why  did  he  not  do  so?  Why 
did  he  go  calm  and  unafraid  to  Pharao  to  fulfil  his  mission? 
Because  he  trusted  in  God.  He  heard  God  saying  again  and 
again,  I  will  be  with  thee,  and  he  gripped  His  hand  the  tight- 


656  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

er.  And  what  did  he  trust  God  to  do?  To  help  him  and  lead 
him  aright.  At  any  rate  he  was  sure  that  as  long  as  God  stood 
by  him  he  could  not  fail.  He  must  have  said  to  himself,  "Com- 
mit thy  way  unto  the  Lord;  trust  also  in  Him,  and  He  shall 
bring  it  to  pass".  Did  God  stand  by  him  and  champion  his 
cause?  Yes.  True,  in  the  beginning  it  did  not  seem  so.  What 
reply  did  Pharao  give  when  Moses  demanded  of  him  that  he 
let  Israel  go?  I  will  not  let  Israel  go.  And  what  did  Pharao 
say  when  Moses  called  upon  God  the  Lord?  Who  is  the  Lord 
that  I  should  obey  his  voice?  I  know  nothing  of  the  Lord.  And 
when  Pharao  refused  again  and  again,  and  finally  forbade  Moses 
to  appear  before  him,  it  must  have  been  difficult  for  him  to 
trust  God.  All  seemed  to  be  in  vain.  Did  he  then  give  up  his 
trust  in  God?  No.  What  rather  did  he  do?  He  prayed  to  God. 
He  kept  his  hand  in  God's  and  continued  to  hope  that  in  the 
end  God  would  give  him  success  in  his  undertaking  and  lead 
Israel  out.  Even  though  he  might  have  to  wait  long  and  Pharao 
might  refuse  again  and  again,  he  said,  "Nevertheless  I  am 
continually  with  Thee :  Thou  hast  holden  me  by  my  right 
hand.  Thou  shalt  guide  me  with  Thy  counsel,  and  afterward 
receive  me  to  glory".  With  such  thoughts  as  these  he  strength- 
ened his  courage  and  assured  himself  that  since  God  had  bid- 
den him  take  this  way,  He  would  see  to  it  that  he  did  not 
fail.  We  note :  To  trust  God  is  to  put  one's  hand  in  God's 
hand,  to  leave  it  there  and  to  hold  it  ever  fast,  even  though 
one  hindrance  come  upon  the  other  and  make  the  performance 
of  our  duty  more  and  more  difficult..    (Blackboard.) 

After  Pharao  had  let  the  Children  of  Israel  go,  where  was 
Moses'  trust  in  God  again  put  to  the  test?  At  the  Red  Sea. 
Other  trials  of  his  trust  had  not  been  wanting,  but  the  hardest 
came  at  the  Red  Sea.  When  God  showed  him  the  road  he  must 
travel,  he  had  to  trust  Him.  How  did  God  show  the  road? 
He  sent  a  pillar  of  cloud  before  the  Children  of  Israel.  Did 
He  use  the  same  way  to  guide  them  by  the  nearest  way  to 
Canaan?  No.  At  first  it  seemed  as  though  God  would  lead 
them  straight  to  Canaan,  but  in  which  direction  did  He  sud- 
denly guide  them?  Toward  Egypt.  Correct.  He  made  a 
sharp  turn  southward  and  so  led  them  farther  and  farther  into 
the  country  of  the  enemy.  To  whom  especially  must  strange 
thoughts  have  come?    To  Moses.    It  was  probably  hard  for  him 


Practical  Examples  657 

to  understand  why  they  were  being  led  that  way,  for  Moses 
knew  the  way  to  Canaan  well.  What  would  he  have  done  if 
he  had  followed  his  own  understanding?  He  would  have  said, 
we  are  being  led  the  wrong  way,  and  he  would  have  let  go  of 
God's  hand.  What  would  he  then,  of  course,  not  have  done? 
He  would  have  no  longer  trusted  God.  What  does  it  mean 
to  trust  God?  To  place  your  hand  in  God's  hand  and  let  Him 
lead  you.  Yes,  and  to  be  sure  of  what?  That  His  way  is  the 
best.  But  Moses  did  not  cease  trusting  God.  He  could  not 
understand  why  God  was  leading  them  this  way;  to  his  mind 
it  was  all  wrong.  But  he  leaned  more  upon  God  than  upon  his 
own  understanding.  What  would  he  now  for  the  first  time 
have  rightly  said  to  himself?  Think  of  the  Scripture  passages 
you  have  already  learned.  Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord; 
trust  also  in  Him  and  He  shall  bring  it  to  pass.  And  if  he 
had  been  acquainted  with  our  hymnal  and  learned  our  hymns, 
which  one  would  he  have  thought  of?  "Commit  thy  way  con- 
fiding, When  trials  here  arise."  And  when  the  morning  reveal- 
ed the  fact  that  they  had  travelled  southward  the  whole  night 
and  were  going  farther  into  the  land  of  the  enemy,  and  his 
reason  was  telling  him  more  and  more  plainly  that  this  was 
wrong, — what  did  he  then  do  with  God's  hand?  He  still  held 
fast  to  it.  Correct.  He  clasped  it  so  much  the  tighter  and  said. 
"Nevertheless,  nevertheless,  I  am  continually  with  Thee",  etc. 
But  you  said  before  that  Moses'  trust  was  given  its  severest 
test  at  the  Red  Sea.  Whither  did  God  finally  lead  the  Israel- 
ites? To  the  Red  Sea.  Yes,  the  Red  Sea  lay  beiore  them,  and 
what  appeared  to  the  right  and  left?  High  mountains.  And 
who  came  behind  them?  Pharao  and  his  army.  Israel's  case 
seemed  desperate,  shut  in  on  all  sides  like  a  mouse  in  a  trap 
or  a  fish  in  a  net.  There  seemed  to  be  no  way  of  escape.  And 
who  was  it  that  had  thus  led  Israel?  God  himself.  And  had 
God  led  them  wrongly  and  brought  them  into  misfortune?  It 
appeared  so.  Who  began  to  believe  this?  Many  of  the  people. 
What  did  they  say  to  Moses?  "Why  did  you  lead  us  out  of 
Egypt?  Were  there  not  graves  in  Egypt,  that  we  should  perish 
in  the  wilderness?"  But  who  could  not  believe  that  God  had  led 
them  wrongly?  Moses.  He  had  beheld  too  many  of  God's 
wonderful  ways,  and  could  not  now  cast  his  trust  in  Him  away. 
It  is  true  that  his  spirit  was  deeply  grieved  and  that  he  could 


658  The  Method  of  Religious  instruction 

find  no  way  out  of  the  difficulty,  but  he  did  not  give  up  hoping 
in  God.  God  had  called  him  out  of  Egypt  to  be  the  deliverer 
of  his  people;  He  had  led  him  in  the  past,  and  he  could  not 
believe  that  God  would  now  permit  him  and  his  people  to  per- 
ish. He  held  fast  to  the  belief  that  God  knew  the  way  out  of 
the  trouble.  And  when  his  soul  trembled  and  feared,  he  said 
to  it:  "Why  art  thou  cast  down,  O  my  soul?  and  why  art  thou 
disquieted  within  me?",  etc.  Here  we  first  clearly  see  what  true 
trust  in  God  is.  He  who  in  truth  trusts  God,  is  also  certain 
that  God's  way  is  the  right  one  even  when?  Even  when  it  leads 
into  deepest  distress  and  one  can  find  no  way  of  escape.  Re- 
peat this  a  number  of  times.  Who  trusts  God  is  even  then  en- 
tirely sure  that  God's  way  is  the  best  when  He  leads  into  deep- 
est distress  and  we  can  find  no  way  of  escape.  I  will  also  write 
it  upon  the  blackboard.  Moses  had  strong  trust  in  God.  What 
did  he  do  in  the  strength  of  such  confidence?  He  cried  unto 
God.  What  did  he  say?  Lord,  help  us!  Certainly,  he  remind- 
ed God  of  His  omnipotence  by  which  He  can  save  us  out  of 
every  trouble,  and  of  which  promise  he  undoubtedly  reminded 
Him?  That  He  would  be  with  him.  He  reminded  God  of 
His  faithfulness,  according  to  which  He  must  now  keep  His 
word.  "I  have  trusted  in  Thee;  Thou  canst  not  and  wilt  not 
let  me  be  put  to  shame" — thus  he  must  have  called  to  God. 
And  what  was  God's  reply?  "Lift  thou  up  thy  rod,  and  stretch 
out  thine  hand  over  the  sea,  and  divide  it;  and  the  Children  of 
Israel  shall  go  on  dry  ground  through  the  midst  of  the  sea. 
And  the  Egyptians  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord."  Oh,  that 
was  a  new  trial  of  his  trust.  He,  a  weak  human  being  was  to 
divide  the  waters  of  the  sea  and  make  a  way  through  for  his 
people.  Did  his  faith  stand  this  test?  Yes.  What  did  Moses 
do?  He  stretched  out  his  hand  over  the  sea.  Behold  him 
standing  there  by  the  side  of  the  sea,  with  his  hand  holding  the 
rod  stretched  out  over  the  waters.  His  reason  told  him : 
Moses,  you  are  making  yourself  ridiculous ;  never  before  has  a 
man  parted  the  waters  of  the  sea  !  But  Moses  stood  firm  in  this 
confidence :  He  trusted  that  God  could  even  work  a  miracle  to 
save  His  people.  That  was  the  highest  point  of  his  trust. 
(Blackboard.)  And  see  how  contagious  it  was!  What  did  the 
people  do  when  they  saw  the  parted  waters  standing  like  walls 
on  either  side  and  the  way  open  through  the  midst  of  the  sea? 


Practical  Examples  659 

They  went  through.  What  trust  in  God!  They,  like  Moses, 
laid  their  hands  in  God's,  that  He  might  lead  them.  And  what 
did  they  trust?  That  God's  leading  would  be  the  best  even 
though  it  led  through  the  midst  of  the  sea.  Children,  that  is 
trusting  in  God  above  all  things,  when  we,  like  Moses,  first  do 
what?  When  we  lay  our  hand  in  God's  hand,  that  He  may 
lead  us  and  are  sure  that  with  God  we  can  perform  the  most 
difficult  task.  In  the  second  place,  when  we  do  what?  When, 
like  Moses,  we  leave  our  hand  in  God's  hand  and  only  hold  the 
tighter  when  one  hindrance  comes  upon  another  to  make  the 
performance  of  our  task  more  difficult.  Thirdly,  when  we  do 
what?  When  we  are  certain  that  God  is  the  best  guide  and  hold 
fast  to  this  certainty,  even  though  we  come  into  deepest  dis- 
tress and  can  find  no  way  out.  Yes,  and  what  is  now  the  last 
thing  this  trust  in  God  clings  to?  That  God  can  work  a  mir- 
acle if  He  will,  to  save  His  flock. — It  was  not  strange  that 
God  was  pleased  with  Moses;  for  he  trusted  God  as  but  few 
trusted   Him. 

2.  Comparison.  We  see,  however,  that  still  other  men  and 
women  trusted  God.  Name  a  king  of  Israel  who  trusted  God 
above  all 'things.  David.  When  did  David  show  his  trust  in 
God?  When  he  went  forth  against  Goliath  the  giant.  What  did 
he,  accordingly,  say  to  Goliath?  "You  come  out  to  me  with 
sword  and  spear,  but  I  come  in  the  name  of  the  God  of  Is- 
rael." Here  also  there  was  a  great  task  to  perform.  In  order 
to  perform  it,  David  laid  his  hand  in  God's  and  trusted  that 
He  would  help  him  slay  Goliath  and  so  fulfil  his  duty.  When 
did  David  trust  God  in  suffering?  When  Saul  persecuted  him 
for  years.  There  he  laid  his  hand  in  God's  hand  and  trusted 
Him  for  what?  That  He  would  lead  him  aright.  Yes,  and 
even  though  he  was  forced  to  wait  for  years  and  years  before 
obtaining  the  throne  which  had  been  promised  him,  and  was 
forced  to  flee  from  place  to  place,  what  did  he  still  firm- 
ly believe?  That  God  was  leading  him  aright.  What,  ac- 
cordingly, did  he  sing  in  the  twenty-third  Psalm?  "He 
leadeth  me  in  the  paths  of  righteousness."  When  did  Abraham 
show  his  trust?  When  he  left  his  homeland.  Yes,  when  he  left 
his  own  land  to  go  into  a  land  the  name  of  which  he  did  not 
even  know.  Then  he  laid  his  hand  in  God's  hand,  that  He  might 
lead    him.      And    of    what    was    he    thus    certain?      That    God 


660  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

would  be  the  best  guide  for  him.  Of  what  hymn  stanza  are  we 
very  strongly  reminded  when  we  see  Abraham  thus  going  forth 
into  the  strange,  unknown  land?  "Commit  thy  way  confiding", 
etc.  What  did  Abraham  thereby  show?  His  trust  in  God. 
Here  again  we  see  that  it  dealt  with  the  performance  of  a 
great  task,  which  Abraham  undertook,  upheld  by  true  faith  in 
God.  Which  one  of  Abraham's  descendants  also  trusted  God 
through  long,  hard  trials?  Joseph.  When  did  his  trials  begin? 
When  he  was  sold  into  Egypt  by  his  brethren.  And  when  did 
they  end?  When  he  became  ruler  over  Egypt.  How  many 
years  was  that?  More  than  13  years.  Oh,  that  was  a  long  time 
of  trial.  What  thoughts  must  certainly  have  often  assailed  him? 
That  God  had  forgotten  him.  When  especially  did  such 
thoughts  come  to  him?  When  Potiphar  had  him  cast  into 
prison.  Again  when?  When  the  cup-bearer  was  freed  and  for- 
got his  promise.  But  what  did  Joseph  always  do  with  such 
thoughts?  He  always  overcame  them.  Yes,  he  trusted  God. 
Even  in  the  greatest  trials  he  did  not  let  go  of  God's  hand ; 
but  what  did  he  do?  He  held  it  all  the  tighter.  What  confi- 
dence did  he  thereby  show  in  God?  That  He  had  not  forgot- 
ten him,  appearances  notwithstanding,  and  that  He-  was  the 
best  guide  nevertheless.  Thoughts  such  as  Paul  expresses  in  the 
passage.  "We  know  that  all  things  work  together  for  good  to 
them  that  love  God",  must  often  have  passed  through  his 
soul.  And  thus  he  showed  that  the  true  children  of  God  even 
when  should  not  throw  away  their  trust?  Even  when 
the  distress  is  great  and  long  continued.  When  we  now  see  that 
Abraham,  Joseph,  Moses,  David  trusted  in  God  above  all  things 
— and  we  could  mention  many  others,  especially  our  dear  Dr. 
Martin  Luther — who  should  then  trust  God?  All  who  would 
be  God's  children.  Yes,  to  be  God's  child  and  to  calmly  and 
trustfully  place  one's  hand  in  God's  that  He  may  lead  us,  and  to 
be  sure  that — even  in  the  greatest  trials — He  is  the  best  guide  : 
these  things  necessarily  belong  together.  May  God's  children 
then  trust  no  one  but  God?  Oh,  yes.  In  whom  does  the  child 
trust?  Its  parents.  In  whom  the  pupil?  His  teacher.  In  whom 
the  king?  His  people.  In  whom  the  sick?  The  physician. 
But  if  we  are  true  children  of  God,  whom  do  we  trust  more 
than  any  one  else?  God.  Yes,  they  trust  in  God  above  all 
things.     They  regard  Him  as  their  only  refuge  and  help.     They 


Practical  Examples  661 

are  certain  that  others  can  help  them  only  when  who  permits? 
When  God  permits.  Hence,  what  kind  of  father  do  we  call 
God  in  the  First  x\rticle,  because  we  Christians  trust  in  Him 
that  He  will  always  lead  us  aright  and  help  us  in  every  need? 
The  Father  Almighty.*) 

3.  Valuation.  Did  Moses  receive  any  benefit  from 
his  trust  in  God?  Yes.  Who  went  with  him  when  he 
trusted  in  God's  help  and  went  to  Egypt?  God  went  with  him. 
How  did  that  become  manifest?  By  the  signs  and  wonders 
which  he  did  before  Pharao.  By  whose  power  had  he  forty  years 
before  tried  to  free  the  Children  of  Israel?  By  his  own  power. 
What  did  he  then  accomplish?  Nothing.  What  was  he  then 
forced  to  do?  He  was  forced  to  flee.  But  what  was  he  now  able 
to  do,  when,  trusting  God,  he  undertook  the  great  work?  He 
could  lead  Israel  forth.  What  effect  did  his  trust  in  God  have 
upon  him?  It  made  him  strong.  Yes,  trust  in  God  makes  one 
strong  and  courageous.  We  see  this  also  in  David.  How  large 
was  David,  compared  with  Goliath?  He  was  small  and  weak 
and  wholly  without  experience  in  handling  weapons  of  war. 
He  was  so  weak  that  who  thought  it  impossible  for  him  to 
conquer  Goliath?  His  brethren  and  King  Saul.  But  with 
what  success  did  he  nevertheless  meet?  He  killed  the  giant 
Goliath.  How  did  his  trust  in  God  make  him?  Strong  and 
courageous.  And  fearless,  we  may  add.  Fearlessly  Moses  went 
before  Pharao,  fearlessly  David  went  against  Goliath,  fearlessly 
Abraham  went  forth  into  the  unknown  country.  Upon  what 
condition,  therefore,  can  one  undertake  a  task  with  courage, 
strength,  and  without  fear?  When  one  trusts  God  above  all 
things.  (Of  course,  there  is  one  thing  we  must  not  forget. 
Who  commanded  Abraham  to  go  into  that  strange  land?  God. 
Who  sent  Moses  to  Egypt?  God  the  Lord.  Who  bade  David 
to  go  forth  against  Goliath?  God  told  him,  for  He  sent  him  to 
the  camp  at  the  time  when  he  had  to  hear  how  Goliath  blas- 
phemed God.     By  whom,  then,  must  the  task  be  imposed  if  one 


*)  Here  it  would  be  better  to  stop  and  postpone  the  Valuation  and 
Application  until  the  next  time.  Such  important  fundamental  truths 
as  are  here  dealt  with  must  be  thoroughly  considered,  which  may  well 
take  half  a  week.  If  the  catechist  has  time,  he  may  thoroughly  go 
through  the  hymns  "Commit  thy  way  confiding"  and  "If  thou  but 
suffer  Cod  to  guide  thee".  Much  else  in  the  explanation  of  the  Com- 
mandments can  be  briefly  treated— the  negative  more  briefly  than  the 
positive. 


662  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

would  assume  it  in  God's  name  and  be  sure  that  God  will  make 
him  strong,  courageous  and  fearless  ?  By  God.  One  has  no  right 
to  push  himself  where  he  is  not  called  and  then  expect  God 
to  help  him.  To  thoughtlessly  thrust  one's  life  into  danger  and 
then  expect  God  to  deliver  him  is  not  trusting  God,  but  tempt- 
ing Him,  and  that  is  sin.)  Upon  what  then  does  all  depend  when 
God  gives  us  a  difficult  duty  to  perform?  Upon  this,  that  we 
undertake  it  trusting  in  God.  When  Lincoln  sounded  the  call 
for  troops  after  the  shelling  of  Fort  Sumter,  he  had  to  contend 
not  only  against  the  war-like  Confederates  but  also  against 
a  strong  opposition  in  his  own  country.  Well  might  he  have 
trembled.  But  fearless,  strong,  and  courageous  he  went  to 
war;  for  it  was  not  he  that  had  provoked  the  war.  He  could 
trust  in  God.  His  good  conscience  and  trust  in  God  made  him 
courageous,  fearless,  and  strong.  Now  let  us  repeat  together : 
Trust  in  God  makes  us  fearless,  courageous  and  strong.  We 
will  say  it  again.  (Blackboard.)  Of  this  the  prophet  once 
spoke,  who  himself  always  depended  upon  God  for  all  things. 
It  was  the  prophet  Isaiah.  Read  Isaiah  40,  31.  Anna,  read 
the  verse,  "But  they  that  wait  on  the  Lord",  etc.  O  children, 
all  good  people  have  experienced  that  they  received  new  strength 
who  trusted  in  the  Lord.  More  than  once  they  became  so  weary 
that  it  seemed  as  though  they  could  not  go  a  step  farther;  but 
what  did  God  give  those  who  trusted  in  Him?  New  strength. 
What  could  they  therefore  do?  They  could  mount  like  an 
eagle.  How  does  the  eagle  fly?  With  power  and  to  a  great 
height.  Yes.  he  seems  to  be  absolutely  tireless.  And  what  else 
can  they  do?  Walk  without  becoming  faint,  go  without  becom- 
ing weary.  We  see  this  in  Elijah  when  he  ate  the  food  which 
God  gave  him;  in  Moses,  who  forgot  all  his  weariness  when  he 
heard  that  he  should  stretch  out  the  rod  in  his  hand  and  lead 
Israel  through  the  sea  dry  and  safe.  Who  would  not  gladly 
trust  God  when  he  thereby  becomes  fearless,  courageous  and 
strong? 

If  we  look  at  Joseph,  we  shall  learn  another  truth  about 
the  blessing  of  trusting  God.  How  long  did  Joseph  have  to 
suffer  trials?  More  than  13  years.  That  is  a  long  time,  as  long, 
children,  as  you  have  lived.  And  when  things  go  wrong,  time 
passes,  oh !  so  slowly.  A  single  day  seems  very  long,  and  how 
long  would  13  years  seem.     Think  of  a  sick  person  who  must 


Practical  Examples  663 

lie  still  for  13  years  or  more !  Joseph  might  easily  have  become 
discouraged  if  he  had  not  done  what?  If  he  had  not  trusted 
to  God  that  He  would  eventually  help  him  and  restore  him  to 
honor.  And  because  he  trusted  God,  he  was  given  thoughts 
like  that  other  pious  man  who  was  also  compelled  to  erjdure 
much,  but  who  repeatedly  said  to  himself,  "I  will  trust  in 
Thee",  etc.  What  did  Joseph  learn  because  he  was  sure  that  the 
end  would  be  good?  He  learned  to  wait  until  God's  hour  came. 
And  that  was  no  impatient  waiting.  When  it  has  rained  for  a 
week,  we  often  can  not  wait  until  the  sun  shines  again.  What 
kind  of  waiting  is  that?  That  is  an  impatient  waiting.  Jo- 
seph waited  patiently  and  calmly.  What  do  we  generally  do 
when  we  wait  impatiently?  We  grumble  and  complain.  Yes, 
sometimes  our  fault-finding  and  complaining  is  very  much  in 
evidence.  On  the  other  hand;  what  was  Joseph  like,  since  he 
did  not  murmur  or  complain?  He  was  quiet  and  calm.  And 
why  could  he  be  so  quiet?  Because  he  trusted  in  God  above  all 
things.  Find  the  62nd  Psalm.  John,  read  the  first  verse: 
"Truly,  my  soul  waiteth",  etc.  Who  also  could  speak  like  the 
Psalmist?  Joseph.  His  soul  waited  upon  the  Lord,  of  whom 
he  was  certain  that  He  would  help  him  when  the  proper  time 
was  at  hand.  What,  then,  does  trust  in  God  tend  to  make  us 
also?  It  makes  us  patient  and  calm.  Correct.  And  it  does  so 
because  it  makes  us  cheerful.  Only  that  person  who  is  cheer- 
fully confident,  who  without  doubt  and  fear  looks  forward  to  the 
end,  can  wait,  be  patient  and  still.  Let  us  say  that  together : 
Trusting  in  God  makes  us  cheerful,  patient,  and  calm.  (Black- 
board.) Children,  that  is  one  of  the  greatest  virtues,  to  be 
cheerful,  patient,  and  calm  at  a  time  of  trial  and  suffering.  To 
undertake  a  difficult  task  in  a  strong,  courageous,  and  fearless 
spirit  means  much ;  but  to  remain  cheerful,  patient,  and  calm 
amid  long  drawn-out  trials — that  is  much  more.  And  in  whom 
only  shall  you  find  both?  Only  in  him  who  trusts  God  above 
all  things.     What,  then,  must  we  learn?     True  trust  in  God. 

What  did  God  do  with  Abraham,  who  trusted  in  him?  He 
led  him  into  the  Promised  Land.  What  did  He  do  with  Joseph? 
He  finally  exalted  him  and  made  him  ruler  over  all  Egypt. 
What  success  did  Moses  have  because  he  trusted  in  God?  He 
let  him  lead  Israel  out  of  Egypt.  What  did  He  let  David  do? 
He  let  him  conquer   Goliath.     Therefore,  what  did   He  always 


664  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

do?  He  always  helped.  Yes,  He  has  always  done  all  things 
well,  and  brought  things  to  a  successful  end,,  for  whom?  For 
those  who  trusted  Him  above  all  things.  When  they  have  al- 
ways done  what?  When  they  have  laid  their  hand  in  God's 
hand  for  Him  to  lead  them  and  when  they  were  sure  that  He  is 
always  the  best  guide.  Trust  in  God,  accordingly,  makes  not 
only  fearless,  courageous,  and  strong  when  we  have  to  under- 
take a  hard  task;  likewise,  not  only  cheerful,  patient,  and 
calm  when  we  must  suffer  long  and  much;  but  what  else  does 
it  do?  It  leads  to  a  successful  end.  To  what  does  it  lead  when 
we  have  a  difficult  task?  That  we  may  accomplish  it.  Against 
what  does  it  protect  us  under  long,  hard  trial?  Against  mur- 
muring and  complaining.  Yes,  against  murmuring  and  com- 
plaining against  God  and  man;  against  doubt  of  God's  help. 
And  to  what  good  end  does  it  lead?  That  we  shall  be  finally 
delivered  out  of  all  trials  and  once  more  have  happiness  and 
joy,  health  and  success.  Let  us  say  that  together!  Trust  in 
God  always  leads  to  a  good  end..  Always?  Children,  is  that 
not  saying  too  much?  Think  of  Lazarus!  He  certainly  trust- 
ed God,  and  how  did  matters  turn  out  with  him?  Badly.  How 
badly?  His  body  was  covered  with  sores.  Was  there  any 
other  misfortune?  He  was  poor  and  had  nothing  to  eat  but 
the  crumbs  from  the  rich  man's  table.  He  was,  accordingly, 
poor  and  sick;  and,  children,  we  should  not  forget  „this:  he  had 
to  see  others  about  him  strong  and  healthy  and  that  one  be- 
fore whose  door  he  lay  living  royally  well.  That  made  his 
sickness  and  poverty  all  the  more  bitter  for  him.  You  say  that 
Lazarus  trusted  God,  and  that  trusting  God  always  leads  to  a 
successful  end.  Did  it  lead  to  a  successful  end  in  the  case  of 
Lazarus?  Yes.  But  how  long  did  he  remain  sick  and  poor? 
Until  his  death.  Did  he  then  come  to  a  successful  end  in  this 
life?  Do  you  call  that  a  successful  end  when  one  must  remain 
in  sickness  and  poverty  until  his  death,  while  others  are  healthy 
and  rich?  No.  How  can  you  then  say  that  the  trusting  of  Laz- 
arus led  to  a  successful  end?  Because  this  life  does  not  end  all. 
What  further  happened  to  Lazarus?  His  soul  was  carried  up 
into  Abraham's  bosom.  What  was  its  condition  there?  Un- 
speakable happiness.  Yes,  God  so  highly  honored  him  and  sur- 
rounded him  with  so  much  happiness  that  he  no  longer  thought 
of   what?      Of   his    sickness    and   poverty   on    earth.     But   only 


Practical  Examples  665 

when  elm  mailers  come  to  a  successful  end?  Not  until  after 
his  death.  Then  is  it  correct  that  trusting  in  God  leads  to  a 
successful  end?  Yes,  it  is  correct.  But  how  should  we  not 
understand  it?  As  if  God  already  in  this  world  always  lets 
things  turn  out  well.  Oh,  no,  children.  God  often  does  as  in 
the  cases  of  Abraham,  Joseph,  Moses,  and  David.  When  does 
He  often  permit  the  one  who  trusts  Him  to  enjoy  success? 
Here  in  this  life.  And  what  does  He  often  do  with  trials  if  one 
trusts  Him?  He  brings  them  to  an  end  and  again  bestows 
health  or  riches  or  honor.  But  He  does  not  always  do  this. 
Many  a  one  who  trusted  in  Him  He  would  not  permit  to  see 
the  success  of  his  endeavors ;  more  than  one  pious  Christian 
has  died  in  poverty  and  wretchedness.  But  when  would  He 
always  help  him,  give  him  honor  and  bring  things  to  a  success- 
ful end?  After  death.  Where  does  He  take  those  who  in  this 
life  have  trusted  Him  above  all  things.  To  Himself,  into  ever- 
lasting joy  and  glory.  We  must  therefore  add  something  to  the 
sentence,  '"trusting  God  leads  to  a  good  end",  in  order  that  it 
may  not  be  misunderstood.  What  words  would  you  add?  In 
this  life  or  in  the  life  to  come.  Yes,  we  will  so  note  it  and 
lepeat  it  together  a  number  of  times:  Trusting  God  leads  to  a 
good  end,  if  not  in  this  life,  then  in  the  life  to  come.  (Black- 
board.) When,  especially,  will  the  true  children  of  God  have  to 
prove  their  trust  in  Him?  When  God  leaves  them  in  distress 
until  the  end  of  their  lives.  For  what  especially  will  they  then 
trust  God?  That  after  death  He  will  bring  them  to  honor  and 
lead  them  to  joy  and  glory.  In  what  words  will  they  thereupon 
take  new  comfort?  Turn  to  Psalm  73.  Frank,  read  verse 
23.  Yes,  so  they  shall  then  rightly  speak.  And  if  their  spirits 
become  disquieted,  they  will  say  to  themselves  as  we  read  in 
Psalms  42,  11.  What  do  you  read  there,  John?  "Why  art  thou 
cast  down",  etc.  Or  with  what  the  Lord  says  in  Isaiah  49,  15. 
What  is  said  there?  "Can  a  woman  forget  her  suckling  child", 
etc.  (Here  have  the  hymns  read,  "Commit  thy  way  confiding", 
and  "If  thou  but  suffer  God  to  guide  thee";  discuss  them  brief- 
ly. Also  Psalms  23  and  91.)  Yes,  children,  so  great  and  impor- 
tant is  trust  in  God.  What  does  it  do  in  the  first  place?  In 
the  second?  In  the  third?  Should  you  not  also  trust  God 
above  all  things,  place  your  hand  in  His  that  He  may  lead  you, 
and    trust    Him    that    He    is    alwavs    the    best    guide?      Is    His 


666  The  Method  of -Religious  Instruction 

guidance  good  even  when  the  task  He  has  assigned  you  is  great 
and  hard;  when  the  trials  He  sends  last  long;  even  when  He  lets 
you  die  in  wretchedness  and  poverty?     Yes,  even  then. 

4.  Application.  Such  great  tests  of  trust  in  God  as  we 
"find  in  the  lives  of  Moses,  Abraham,  Joseph,  or  David,  are  not 
demanded  of  you  children.  You  are  not  required  to  forsake 
friends  and  acquaintances  and  go  alone  into  a  strange  land, 
the  name  of  which  you  do  not  know,  as  did  Abraham.  You 
will  not  be  sold  into  slavery  like  Joseph  and,  though  innocent, 
have  to  lie  for  years  in  pfison  like  him;  you  are  not  required 
to  deliver  a  people  out  of  Egypt  and  to  lead  them  through  the 
sea  like  Moses ;  nor  need  you,  like  David,  go  out  to  fight  a  giant. 
Though  in  your  later  days  hard  tasks  and  severe  trials  may 
confront  you,  they  are  as  yet  small  and  insignificant.  But, 
nevertheless,  what  shall  you  soon  have  to  show?  True  trust 
in  God.  If  you  have  a  difficult  problem  to  solve  or  an  examina- 
tion is  before  you,  and  you  are  anxious  and  fearful,  what  should 
you  do?  Trust  in  God  and  hope  in  His  help.  Here,  certain- 
ly, also  another  thing  is  necessary.  What  do  you  first  have 
to  do,  if  you  know  that  an  examination  will  shortly  be  held? 
Study  diligently  and  work  hard.  Of  course,  for  God  has  no 
pleasure  in  lazy  people;  He  will  rather  let  them  dismally  fail, 
so  that  they  may  finally  learn  to  be  diligent.  But  often,  though 
you  had  been  diligent,  not  only  occasionally  but  regularly,  from 
day  to  day,  yet,  how  did  you  feel  when  the  examination  ap- 
proached? You  felt  afraid.  Yes,  your  heart  beat  and  leaped 
violently.  How,  then,  can  you  quietly  and  serenely  go  to  the 
examination?  If  you  say  to  God:  Dear  Lord,  be  with  me  and 
help  me  to  give  the  correct  answers.  For  what  does  trust  in 
God  make  one?  It  makes  one  fearless,  courageous,  and  strong, 
A  youth  was  working  for  a  farmer  and  was  sent  into  the  field 
with  the  horses  and  machine.  He  was  only  sixteen  years  old 
and  had  just  recently  come  from  Germany.  He  had  but 
little  experience  with  such  young,  mettlesome  horses,  and  had 
seen  the  machine  in  operation  but  once.  How  would  that  work 
out?  His  heart  was  heavy  as  he  rode  out  to  the  field.  The 
young  horses  were  worse  than  usual,  for  the  flies  were  plaguing 
them  greatly.  And  when  he  tried  to  set  the  machine,  he  could 
not.  for  he  had  forgotten  how  it  was  done.  He  tried  again 
and  again,  but  without  success ;  the  horses  refused  to  stand  any 


Practical  Examples  667 

longer,  and  he  could  not  discover  how  to  operate  the  machine. 
He  wished  he  were  back  again  at  the  house  or  with  his  par- 
ents in  Germany.  Then  he  happened  to  remember  that  in  the 
First  Commandment  it  says  that  we  should  trust  God  above  all 
things.  Do  you  know  what  he  did?  Reins  in  hand,  he  knelt 
down  beside  the  machine  and  prayed :  "Lord,  help  me !  Thou 
hast  often  helped  my  mother  when  she  called  upon  Thee.  Help 
me  also  I"  Then  his  heart  grew  calm  and  his  head  clear.  The 
next  time  he  tried  it  he  succeeded,  and  before  the  day  was  over 
he  had  accomplished  considerable  work.  See,  boys,  that  is  the 
blessing  of  trusting  God.  You  will  soon  be  confirmed  and  more 
than  one  of  you  will  be  going  forth  from  your  homes  to  the 
service  of  others  or  to  another  school.  That  may  not  be  pleas- 
ant and  your  hearts  may  be  troubled  and  heavy.  But  what 
did  Abraham  do  when  he  left  for  the  strange  land?  He  trusted 
God.  And  how  did  he  then  feel?  He  became  fearless,  coura- 
geous, and  cheerful.  What  can  you  do  that  you  likewise  may 
be  of  good  courage?  I  can  trust  God.  Yes,  you  can  place  your 
hand  in  God's  hand  that  He  may  lead  you,  and  you  can  be  cer- 
tain that  He  will  lead  you  aright.  Does  that  mean  that  it  will 
always  go  well  with  you?  No.  Often  people  will  not  be  sat- 
isfied with  you,  however  much  you  may  strive  to  please  them. 
Of  whom  should  you  then  think?  Of  Joseph.  Yes,  he  did  his 
best  and  was  rewarded  with  prison.  But  what  did  he  not 
do,  despite  all  this?  He  did  not  forget  God.  Still  more.  What 
did  he  do  with  God's  hand  when  things  went  wrong  with  him? 
He  held  it  the  closer.  And  of  what  was  he  confident?  That 
God  was  the  best  guide.  And  that  it  would  lead  to  what  kind 
of  an  end?  To  a  successful  end.  So  you  must  think  when  you 
have  done  your  duty  and  men  are  not  satisfied  with  you. 
Or  perhaps  your  parents  become  ill  and  die.  Upon  whom  will 
you  then  rely?  Upon  your  wisdom  and  cleverness,  upon  your 
strong,  healthy  body,  upon  your  friends  and  acquaintances, «or 
upon  God  your  heavenly  Father?  Upon  my  heavenly  Father. 
Why  not  upon  your  own  wisdom  and  strength?  Because  they 
will  not  suffice.  Why  not  upon  friends  and  acquaintances? 
They  may  die,  and  though  they  lived,  they  could  not  always 
help.  Who  can  always  help,  however  great  the  need?  Our 
heavenly  Father.  What  kind  of  father  is  He?  An  almighty 
father.     If  He  should  let  you  become  ill  and  even  die,  while  the 


668  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

others  about  you  were  healthy  and  happy,  what  would  be  diffi- 
cult for  you?  To  trust  in  God.  Certainly.  But  if  you  pray 
to  Him  He  will  preserve  your  trust  in  Him,  and  you  will  firmly 
hold  that  even  then  He  is  guiding  you  aright.  At  death  pious 
children  of  God  more  than  ever  lay  their  hands  in  God's 
and  say:  "Abide  with  me;  fast  falls  the  eventide",  etc.  Even 
in  the  valley  of  death,  accordingly,  they  are  not  alone;  but  who 
is  with  them?  God  is  with  them.  What  words  of  David's 
Shepherd  Psalm  may  they,  accordingly,  apply  to  themselves? 
"Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death", 
etc.  Why  is,  even  then,  God  the  best  guide?  Because  the 
time  to  enter  heaven  has  come.  Yes,  children,  that  is  truly 
the  best  guide  who  leads  us  to  heaven.  If  God  then  leads  us 
so  well,  what  should  be  and  shall  be  our  chief  care?  We  will 
then  trust  in  God  above  all  things. — By  all  means,  children, 
we  will  do  that ! — Open  your  catechism,  page  31.  There  read 
what  stands  under  the  heading  "trust  in  Him";  and  again  on 
page  32.  Also  read  the  Scripture  passages  plainly  and  with 
proper  emphasis  :  Frank,  No.  15,  Anna,  No.  16,  Emil,  No.  17, 
etc.  So.  That  will  do  very  well  until  the  next  time.  (Passages 
which  were  quoted  in  the  first  part  of  the  catechization  have  al- 
ready been  learned  between  the  First  and  the  Second  Parts; 
Cf.  page  661,  note.) 

4.    Outline  of  a  Catechization  on  the  Nature  of  Faith. 

Aim:  W^e  want  to  learn  what  it  means  to  believe.  1. 
Developing  the  nature  of  faith  from  the  intuitional  material: 
From  the  story  of  the  departure  of  Abraham  from  his  father- 
land the  class  is  to  be  shown  how  faith  has  to  deal  with  the 
invisible  (unknown  land),  but  only  with  such  invisible  things 
of  which  God  has  spoken  to  us  (God  spoke  with  Abraham  about 
the  unknown  land)  ;  that  faith  clings  to  these  as  real  and 
firmly  relies  upon  them — so  firmly,  indeed,  that  it  will  give  up 
everything  visible  and  material  for  them. — 

2.  Comparison.  The  martyrs,  who  gave  up  the  earthly, 
tangible,  perceptible,  in  order  to  gain  the  invisible,  everlasting 
life.     Heb.  11.— 

3.  Valuation.     Proceeding  from  Heb.   11,  especially  the  life 


Practical  Examples  669 

of  Abraham,    and    terminating   in   Jer.    5,   3;    Heb.    11,   6;    Gen. 
15,  6;  Hab.  2,  4.— 

4.  Application.     Experiences  from  the  life  of  youth. 

5.     Outline  of  a  Catechization  on  the   First  Part  of  the  Third 

Article. 

(For  the  Juniors  and  Seniors  of  the  Academic  Department 
of  a  College.) 

Aim:  We  cannot  by  our  own  reason  or  strength  come 
to  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus.  1.  Paul  supplies  the  intuitional  basis. 
The  catechist,  with  the  co-operation  of  the  class,  develops  a 
sketch  of  Paul's  life  up  to  the  time  of  his  journey  to  Damascus 
in  a  manner  in  keeping  with  the  age  and  knowledge  of 
those  in  the  grades  mentioned.  He  leads  them  to  Tarsus  into 
the  house  of  Paul's  father,  who  himself  had  been  a 
Pharisee;  gives  them  an  idea  of  the  instruction  on  the  Law 
which  Paul  here  received;  has  them  accompany  Paul,  the  youth, 
to  Jerusalem  and  sit  beside  him  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel;  shows 
them  by  particular  examples  his  zeal  in  the  fulfilling  of  the 
Law  (Phil.  3,  1 — 11  to  be  read  ,in  this  connection),  making  it 
clear  to  them,  on  the  basis  of  Gal.  2,  16,  how  only  one  thought 
filled  the  mind  of  Paul — his  seeking  after  righteousness.  He 
then  comprehensively  presents  how  knowledge  and  zeal  were  not 
wanting;  how  Paul  outstripped  the  majority;  how  reason  and 
mental  grasp  were  there,  and  yet  total  inability  to  know  Christ 
in  spite  of  them  and  to  attain  righteousness  by  his  natural  force. 
No  wonder  he  wrote  1  Cor.  2,  14  and  1  Cor.  12,  3.  If  Christ 
Himself  had  not  intervened,  and  had  not  called  to  him  on  the 
way  to  Damascus;  if  He  had  not  enlightened  his  mind  and  spirit 
while  his  eyes  were  blinded;  if  He  had  not  revealed  Him- 
self to  him  (Gal.  2,  11.  17),  i.  e.,  removed  the  scales  so  that  he 
could  see  and  know  Jesus;  if  He  had  not  let  him  be  baptized 
by  Ananias  and  thereby  become  justified  and  sanctified,  he 
would  never  have  come  to  know  Christ  as  his  Lord,  and  thus, 
in  spite  of  all  his  knowledge  and  strength,  remained  a  poor,  lost 
soul.  But  when  he  arose  out  of  the  washing  of  regeneration 
he  could  confess  :  "I  believe  that  I  cannot  by  my  own  reason 
or  strength  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  my  Lord sanc- 
tified and  kept  me  in  the  true  faith."  Now  he  could  write 
Eph.  2,  1  and  Titus  3,  5  and  Rom.  3,  28.— 


670  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

2.  For  Comparison  the  scene  at  Caesarea  Philippi  may  be 
used,  where  the  Master  asks  the  question :  "Whom  do  men 
say  that  I  the  Son  of  Man  am?"  and,  upon  the  confession  of 
Peter,  rejoins:  "Flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto 
thee,  but  my  father  which  is  in  heaven";  the  Bible  reading 
and  lack  of  understanding  on  the  part  of  the  eunuch  of  Ethiopia 
until  Philip  opens  the  Scriptures  to  him.  One  may  also  remind 
the  pupils  of  Athens,  which,  with  all  its  wisdom,  could  not  find 
God,  built  an  altar  to  the  unknown  God,  and  regarded  the  mes- 
sage of  the  risen  Christ  as  ridiculous. — 

3.  Valuation.  Is  it  a  piece  of  good  fortune  to 
be  led  to  Jesus,  to  be  brought  to  faith  in  Him?  Ask  the  Greeks 
who  desired  to  see  Jesus;  ask  the  converted  Paul;  ask  the 
baptized  eunuch  who  went  his  way  with  joy;  ask  Stephen,  face 
to  face  with  death  by  stoning;  go  out  into  the  mission  field 
and  ask  the  converted  heathen;  listen  to  the  hymns  of  Jesus 
which  the  Church  sings  !— 

4.  Application.  To  know  Latin  and  Greek,  and  to  have  other 
knowledge  is  good,  but  to  know  Jesus  Christ  is  better  than  all 
knowledge.  All  wisdom  and  power  do  not  lead  to  God ;  thank 
God  that  you  have  been  baptized,  thereby  sanctified  and  brought 
to  Christ.  Are  you  still  with  Him,  and  can  you  say  with  Luther, 
"and  preserved  me"? 

6.  Outline  of  a  Catechization  on  the  Conclusion  of  the  Third 
Article.*) 

I  believe  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body  and  the  life  ever- 
lasting. 

1.  With  what  Christians  may  comfort  themselves  at  the 
grave. 

a)  How  did  Jesus  comfort  sorrowing  humanity?  The  son 
of  the  widow  at  Nain,  the  raising  of  Lazarus? — b)  How  did  the 
Lord  confirm  to  them  His  comfort?  "I  am  the  resurrection  and 
the  life",  etc.,  certainty  of  the  eternal  life  of  Jesus;  His  resurrec- 
tion the  pledge  of  ours.  He  who  is  in  Jesus  has  passed  through 
death  unto  life. — c)  How  has  God  written  this  comfort  already 
in  the  work  of  nature?     Autumn,   Spring,   1   Cor.   15. — d)  How 


*)  From  Berndt,  Methodik  des  Unterrichts  in  der  evang.  Religion, 
1909,  page  105  f.  According  to  the  analytical  method,  to  which  Luther's 
explanation  is  the  sum  of  the  entire  catechization,  p.  580  f. 


Practical  Examples  671 

did  pious  Christians  comfort  themselves?  1  Cor.  15 — Paul  (2 
Cor.  5) — Ignatius  of  Antioch  and  others — The  church  hymns  ; 
Jesus  my  Redeemer  lives,  etc. : — Luther  at  the  deathbed  of  his 
Lena. — e)  How   did   D.   Martin  Luther   proclaim   this   comfort? 

"In  which  Christian  Church  He at  the  last  day  will 

raise  up  me  and  all  the  dead." — Resurrection  of  the  body  =  all 
people. 

2.  In    what    Christians   may    rejoice    in   the   hour   of    death. 
a)  What  does  the  Lord  Jesus  say  about  our  joy  in  heaven? 

Parables. — b)  Why  is  eternal  life  a  great  joy  for  the  Chris- 
tian? Rev.  21,  1 — 7;  Communion  with  Christ,  God,  all  the 
redeemed,  freedom  from  all  inner  imperfection  and  outer  re- 
straint.— c)  How  pious  Christians  would  rejoice  in  eternal 
life.  Stephen — Paul  in  his  letter  to  the  Philippians — Augus- 
tine and  Monica  (Confess.  XI,  10) — Jerusalem  thou  City  Fair — 
and  like  hymns. — d)  How  does  Luther  speak  of  this  joy?  "And 
give  unto  me  and  all  believers  in  Christ  everlasting  life." 

3.  How  Christians  conduct  themselves  on  their  way  to 
heaven. 

a)  The  earnest  sermon  preached  to  us  on  this  sub- 
ject by  Christ.  Parable  of  the  Wise  and  Foolish  Virgins, 
and  others. — b)  How  the  faithful  disciples  followed  His  admoni- 
tion. Peter  (Legend  by  Kinkel) — Paul. — c)  How  Christians 
proceed  to  heaven.  "Blessed  are  they  that  mourn,  for  they 
shall  be  comforted." — Appropriate  hymns. 

7.     Questions  for  Review  and  Drill. 

What  can  God  demand  of  us  since  He  has  become  through 
Baptism  our  God?  When  do  we  hold  Him  to  be  our  God? — 
We  should  fear  Him,  i.  e.,  always  hold  Him  before  our  eyes  as 
whom?  We  should  love  Him  as  who  loved  Him? — And  we 
shall  trust  Him  as  who  trusted  Him? — When  did  Moses  trust 
God  above  all  things?  When  again?  And  especially  when? — 
What  did  Moses  do  when  he  was  commissioned  to  go  to 
Egypt  to  save  Israel?  (He  placed  his  hand  in  God's  that  He 
might  lead  him.)  What  trust  did  he  thereby  repose  in  God? 
— And  what  did  Moses  not  immediately  do  with  'God's  hand 
when  Pharao  would  not  let  Israel  go? — But  what  did  he 
do  all  the  more? — What  did  he  further  trust  Him  to 
do? — When    did    God    appear    as    an    erring   guide? — What    did 


672  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

Moses  then  do  instead  of  casting  aside  his  trust  in  God? — How 
did  he  speak  to  his  disquieted  soul?  Recall  the  Scripture  pas- 
sages you  have  learned !  Frank,  you,  too,  may  repeat  them. — By 
what  can  we  see  that  Moses  was  right  when  he  refused  to  cast 
aside  his  trust  in  God? — Was  Moses  ever  sorry  that  he  had 
laid  his  hand  in  God's  that  God  might  lead  him? — Show  how 
David  trusted  God. — Show  how  Abraham  trusted  God. — From 
whose  life  especially  have  we  seen  that  we  should  trust  God 
even  amid  trials? — How  long  did  Joseph's  humiliation  last? — 
How  did  he  comfort  himself  when  it  seemed  as  though  God 
had  forgotten  him? — In  what  passage  of  Scripture  has  God 
Himself  said  that  He  will  not  forget  His  children? — What  did 
Joseph  say  to  himself  when  all  evidence  seemed  lacking  that 
God  was  thinking  of  him?  Think  again  of  your  Scripture  pas- 
sages ! — When,  therefore,  should  we  not  let  go  of  God's  hand, 
but  hold  it  the  closer? — And  what  trust  shall  we  have  in  Him 
even  in  the  longest  trials? — For  these  two  things  belong  to  true 
trust  in  God:  1.  Place  our  hand  in  God's  hand  that  He  may 
lead  us ;  2.  Be  confident  that  He  is  the  best  guide,  even  when 
we  have  a  hard  task  to  perform  or  when  long  and  severe  trials 
rest  upon  us.  In  which  Scripture  passage  are  we  admonished 
to  commit  all  our  ways  unto  Him  and  to  trust  in  Him? — Which 
hymn  also  contains  the  same  admonition? — We  should  trust  God 
above  all  things  also  because  a  great  blessing  accompanies 
such  trust.  How  did  Moses  practice  this? — What  did  Paul 
do  when  he  went  out  against  Goliath? — What,  Abraham,  when 
he  was  told  to  go  o*ut  into  the  unknown  land? — In  which  Scrip- 
ture passage  are  we  told  that  trust  in  God  makes  one  strong, 
courageous,  and  fearless? — Peter,  you  also  may  repeat  it.  Anna, 
likewise ! — What  effect  did  Joseph's  trust  in  God  have  upon 
him  in  his  long  trial? — But  I  know  of  another  thing  which 
should  make  it  easy  for  us  to  trust  in  God.  Who  can  tell  it  to 
me? — But  does  trust  in  God  always  lead  to  a  successful  end? — 
Even  if  we  must  die  in  poverty  and  misery? — From  whose  life 
have  we  seen  that  one  may  be  pious  and  trust  God  and  still 
have  to  suffer  in  wretchedness  until  death? — But  why  can  we 
say  that  Lazarus'  trust  in  God  led  to  a  successful  end? — What 
should  we  therefore  add  to  the  sentence  :  Trust  in  God  leads 
to  a  successful  end? — What  must  we  truly  do  if  trust  in  God 
is    to    make    us    fearless,    strong,    and    courageous    to    fulfil    our 


Practical  Examples  673 

task;  if  it  makes  us  patient  and  cheerful  in  trial,  and  if  it 
always,  in  this  or  at  least  in  the  life  to  come,  leads  to  a  suc- 
cessful end? — In  which  psalm  has  David  declared  that  God  has 
always  led  him  aright? — In  which  psalm  would  Moses  help  us 
to  find  joy  in  trusting  God? — Which  two  hymns  especially  are 
calls  upon  us  to  trust  in  God?  (When  they  have  been  learned 
and  explained,  other  questions  regarding  them  are  in  order). 
Show  me  how  also  you  can  exhibit  true  trust  in  God. — 
Louis,  you  also  may  show  this. — Emil,  likewise. — Yes,  children, 
to  trust  God  in  all  things  is  one  of  the  main  points  in  Christian- 
ity. It  makes  us  courageous  in  life,  cheerful,  calm,  and  patient 
in  trial,  confident  in  death.  May  God  Himself  awaken  this 
within  our  hearts  and  preserve  it  until  our  end ! 

8.    An  Excursus  Through  the  Catechism. 

Thanking  and  serving.  According  to  L.  Schultze,  Kate- 
chet. Bausteine.*) 

It  is  a  good  thing  to  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  dear  chil- 
dren !  Therefore  we  find  so  much  about  thanksgiving  in  our 
Catechism.  Where  do  we  find  the  word  "thank"  for  the  first 
time?  In  the  First  Chief  Part,  in  the  Second  Commandment: 
Call  upon  it  in  every  trouble,  pray,  praise  and  give  thanks. — 
For  what  shall  we  thank  God? — For  everything. — Where  is 
that  written?  In  the  First  Article  of  the  Christian  Creed.  In 
which  words?  "For  all  of  which  I  am  in  duty  bound  to  thank 
and  praise  ....  obey  him."  Tell  what  that  "all"  comprises 
which  is  here  mentioned.  That  God  has  made  me  and  all  my 
goods. — How  can  that  "all"  with  which  God  preserves  body  and 
life,  be  expressed  in  two  words? — Daily  bread. — Who  has  taught 
us  so  to  call  it?  Jesus  in  the  Lord's  Prayer. — In  which  peti- 
tion? In  the  fourth. — What  do  we  therefore,  according  to  this 
petition,  owe  Him  also  for  our  daily  bread?  That  we  receive 
our  daily  bread  with  thanksgiving. — We  have  already  had  three 
Chief  Parts  in  which  the  giving  of  thanks  is  dealt  with.  Why 
is  thanksgiving  nevertheless  so  often  lacking?  Give  me  the 
entire    explanation   of   the   Fourth    Petition.     "God    gives    daily 

bread to   know    and   to    receive   our   daily   bread    with 

thanksgiving."     What,    according    to    this,    should    precede    the 


h)     There   is   much   to  be   improved   before  it   is   really   fit  to  be  used. 


674  The  Method  of  Religious  Instruction 

giving  of  thanks?  "That  He  would  lead  us  to  know  it."— 
That  is  the  point.  Therefore  a  thankful  person  is  one  who  sees 
and  knows. — Who  never  forgot  to  give  thanks?  The  Lord 
Jesus. — Prove  this  from  the  Catechism.  "Our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  ....  took  bread,  gave  thanks,  brake  it",  etc. — So  we 
have  another  Chief  Part  that  mentions  the  giving  of  thanks ! 
Which  one  is  it?  The  Fifth. — Did  Jesus  thank  only  for  the 
bread?  No;  "after  the  same  manner  also  He  took  the  cup, 
when  He  had  supped,  gave  thanks",  etc. — For  what  did  Jesus 
give  thanks?  For  everything. — But  to  thank  with  words  or 
with  the  tongue  is  not  all  of  thanksgiving.  How  should  our 
gratitude  express  itself?  Think  of  the  First  Article.  For  all 
of  which  I  am  in  duty  bound  to  thank  and  praise,  to  serve  and 
obey  Him. — Service !  That  is  what  you  owe  also  to  the  Savior. 
For  what  purpose  has  He  purchased  you?  "That  I  might  be 
His  own  and  live  under  Him  in  His  kingdom  and  serve  Him." 
— You  also  owe  this  to  men.  The  two  parts,  "serve  and  obey", 
stand  beside  each  other  elsewhere  in  the  Catechism.  Where? 
In  the  Fourth  Commandment.  "Serve  and  obey  them,  hold  them 
in  love  and  esteem." — Should  you  obey  everybody?  No;  only 
parents  and  masters.  But.  "serve"?  Does  that  only  apply  to 
parents?  No;  to  all  men.  We  should  also  be  of  service  to  our 
neighbor.  Where  are  we  told  this?  In  the  Ninth  Command- 
ment :  "But  help  and  serve  him  in  keeping  it". — To 
what  does  this  here  refer?  To  his  inheritance  or  house. 
— Which  other  Commandment  emphasizes  this  duty? 
The  Seventh :  "But  help  him  to  improve  and  pro- 
tect his  property  and  living". — When  especially  are  you 
bound  to  help  him?  In  every  need. — Where  is  that  written?  In 
the  Fifth  Commandment :  "but  help  and  befriend",  etc. — But 
what  if  the  person  be  your  enemy?  "So  we  on  our  part  will 
heartily  forgive  and  readily  do  good  to  those  who  sin  against 
us." — Now  we  have  learned  something  about  thanking  and  serv- 
ing from  four  Chief  Parts.  Which  is  lacking?  The  Fourth  Chief 
Part — of  Holy  Baptism. — You  will  not  find  the  word  "thank" 
there,  but  the  idea  and  thought  is  there  of  the  very  best  thanks- 
giving, which  is  at  the  same  time  a  daily  serving.  Which  is 
that?    "That  the  old  Adam  in  us  by purity  forever." 


Practical  Examples  673 

3.     Instruction  in   Hymns. 

The  hymn :  "Wake,  arise !  The  voice  is  calling".  (After 
Schueren,  page  119  ff.) 

Twice  this  week  the  bell  in  the  tower  was  tolled.  Our 
fathers  experienced  times  when  the  death  knell  was  sounded 
every  day  in  the  year.  Every  day  the  bell  tolled  its  message 
of  death.  In  the  century  in  which  Luther  lived,  three  times 
a  fearful  pestilence  stalked  through  the  German  land — a  pesti- 
lence so  dreadful  that  in  one  visitation  more  than  half  of  the 
inhabitants  in  many  places  died.  Those  were  the  unfortunate 
years  1529,  1572  and  1597.  When  the  last  pestilence  swept 
through,  there  lived  in  Unna,  a  small  city  in  the  province  of 
Westphalia,  a  pious  Lutheran  preacher  named  Nicolai.  He  had 
already  suffered  much  in  many  places  at  the  hands  of  the  ene- 
mies of  the  followers  of  Luther.  Then  came  the  great  pest. 
Daily  he  saw  from  20  to  30  corpses  carried  past  his  house.  He 
spent  his  time  from  early  morning  until  late  night  among 
the  dead  and  dying.  In  a  short  time  1400  persons  were  buried. 
Of  what  could  he  think  but  of  death  and  the  grave?  It  was 
midnight  also  for  his  congregation.  The  bridegroom  was  near 
at  hand  to  lead  the  wise  virgins  to  the  heavenly  courts.  All 
things  indicated  this.  He  himself  was  a  watchman  placed  by 
God  upon  the  towers  to  remind  the  congregation  of  the  Bride- 
groom's coming.  And  he  was  faithful  to  his  trust.  He  admon- 
ished to  repentance  and  then  comforted  the  suffering  with  the 
prospect  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  God  with  the 
pearly  gates,  and  put  it  all  in  the  form  of  a  beautiful  fiymn. 
(Teacher  recites  the  hymn.)  Now  open  your  books.  Sing 
the  first  verse.  How  beautiful  the  melody  and  how  appropriate 
to  the  words  !     Let  us  study  the  words  of  this  hymn  ! 

I  will  read  the  first  verse  of  the  hymn  once  more.  A 
capable  child  then  reads  it,  and  then  all  in  chorus.  Of  which 
parable  does  this  verse  remind  you?  It  reminds  of  the  Parable 
of  the  Ten  Virgins. — Repeat  this  parable ! — To  what  are  the 
virgins  in  this  verse  admonished?  They  are  admonished  to  be 
ready. — For  what  should  they  be  ready?  To  meet  the  bride- 
groom.— How  must  the  virgins  be  in  order  to  meet  the  bride- 
groom? They  must  be  awake. — What,  then,  do  the  watchmen 
do  who  are  placed  by  God  upon  the  towers?    They  call :  Awake! 


676  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

— To  whom  do  they  thus  call  in  this  verse?  They  call  to  the  city 
of  Jerusalem. — Who  is  meant  thereby?  The  people  are  meant 
thereby. — We  shall  see  what  people  are  meant.  Who  is  the 
bridegroom?  Christ  is  the  bridegroom. — Whom  does  He  wish 
to  lead  to  the  heavenly  palace?  Those  who  believe  in  Him  and 
follow  Him. — How  do  we  call  those  people  who  do  this?  We 
call  them  Christians. — What  are  we  therefore  to  understand 
by  Jerusalem?  The  Christian  congregation. — What  is  said  to 
it?  To  awake  and  be  ready. — Why?  Because  the  bridegroom  is 
coming. — When  will  He  come?  He  will  come  at  midnight. — 
When  will  that  be?  When  may  the  Lord  call  you  away?  He 
may  call  me  away  at  any  hour.  Which  hour,  then,  is  the  mid- 
night hour?  Every  hour  is  the  midnight  hour. — When  should 
I,  therefore,  be  ready?  I  should  always  be  ready. — What  is 
meant  by  being  ready  and  having  one's  lamp  filled  and  burn- 
ing, you  have  already  learned. 

I  shall  read  the  first  verse  again. — You  read  it ! — And  you ! — 
puoD9S  9ij;  avou  '}ijSr£[ — ;  0}jb  9qx  i  ouEjdos  aij;  mojsj — j  noÄ  puy 
stanza  should  be  easier.  Treatment  of  the  two  following 
stanzas  as  before,  but  more  briefly.  In  the  second  stanza  at- 
tention must  be  called  to  the  fact,  that  the  second  part  is  a 
joyful  response  to  the  first  part;  and  in  the  middle  of  the  third 
stanza  the  teacher  reads  the  corresponding  Scripture  verse  from 
Revelations  21. — At  the  close  the  teacher  reads  the  whole.  Then 
the  children  read  it  together.  The  singing  of  the  third  stanza 
closes  the  lesson.  It  will  hardly  be  necessary  to  tell  the  chil- 
dren to  learn  the  hymn  at  home.  Many  already  know  it  by 
memory,  others  will  learn  it  without  being  commanded.  Dur- 
ing the  review  one  can  tell  of  the  blessings  which  the  hymn  has 
brought  into  the  life  of  many  a  person. 


VI.  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

39.    The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation. 

J.  W.  Hoefling,  Sakr.  d.  Taufe,  2  vols,  1859.— G.  v.  Zez- 
schwitz  I  (pp.  580—726),  1863.— Th.  Harnack,  Katechetik  (pp. 
177—196),  1882.— K.  Buchrucker  (pp.  96—103),  1889.— E.  Sachsse 
(pp.    401—418),    1897.— O.    Baumgarten    (pp.    81—85),    1903.— J. 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  677 

Gottschick  (pp.  119—124),  1908.— E.  Chr.  Achelis  (pp.  303—335), 
1911.— J.  Steinbeck  (pp.  238— 249).— W.  Caspari,  Die  evange- 
lische Konfirmation  vornehmlich  i.  cl.  luth.  Kirche,  1890. — W. 
Diehl,  Zur  Geschichte  d.  Konfirmation,  1897. — Ernst  and  Adam, 
Die  katechetische  Geschichte  d.  Elsasses,  1897. — E.  Simons, 
Konfirmation  u.  Konfirmandenunterricht,  1900. — G.  Kawerau, 
Bedarf  d.  gegenwaertige  Konfirmationsordnung  einer  Aende- 
rung  (Halte,  was  du  hast),  1901.— E.  Chr.  Achelis,  Offener  Brief 
an  Prof.  Kawerau  (eodem  loco),  1901. — E.  Chr.  Achelis,  Die 
Bestrebungen  z.  Reform  d.  Konfirmationspraxis  (Theol.  Rund- 
schau), 1901  and  1904. — G.  Beelitz,  Unsere  Konfirmationsord- 
nung i.  Licht  d.  Hl.  Schrift,  1901.— E.  Hansen,  Die  Geschichte 
d.  Konfirmation  in  Schleswig-Holstein,  1906. — Freie  kirchl.-so- 
ziale  Konferenz,  Heft  11.  12.  15.  16.  23.  24.— K.  Bonhoff,  Die 
Unhaltbarkeit  d.  Forderung  d.  Konfirmationsgeluebdes,  1908. — 
E.  Simons,  Die  Konfirmation,  1909. — G.  Rietschel,  Lehrbuch  d. 
Liturgik  II,  1909.— F.  Rendtorff,  Das  Problem  d.  Konfirmation, 
1910. — E.    Sehling,     Evang.     Kirchenordnungen    d.     16.     Jahrh., 

1903  ff.— M.   Reu,   Quellen  z.   Geschichte   d.  kirchl.   Unterrichts, 

1904  ff. 

If  the  Church,  by  the  educational  agencies  above 
mentioned,  by  the  use  of  the  material  indicated,  and  in 
pursuance  of  a  method  adapted  both  to  the  inner  life  of 
the  child  and  the  character  of  the  teaching  material,  has 
done  everything  that  pastoral  fidelity  may  suggest,  it 
is  likely  that  she  has  accomplished  everything  laid  down 
by  us  as  the  aim  of  her  teaching  and  training,  unless  the 
pupil's  soul  has  been  actually  barred  against  her  efforts 
(pp.  266  f.,  308  f.).  True,  often  there  may  be  fail- 
ure to  arouse  the  soul  to  a  personal  life  of  faith ;  but  the 
sacred  truths,  upon  which  the  life  of  the  mature  con- 
gregation is  fundamentally  based,  and  by  which  it  is 
constantly  renewed,  have  been  imbedded  and  anchored 
in  the  intellect  of  the  adolescent  youth;  their  emotional 
life  has  been  stirred  to  a  vital  interest  in  these  truths, 
and  the  will  has  been  habituated  to  the  pursuit  of  those 


678  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

paths  in  which,  soon  or  late,  the  Spirit  can  and  will 
arouse  the  soul  to  personal  faith.  So  far  as  men  are 
a  factor  in  the  premises,  a  general  participation  in  the 
life  of  the  mature  congregation  has  thus  been  rendered 
possible :  the  member  of  the  Church,  having  become  of 
age  (p.  305),  is  henceforth  able  to  take  part  in  the  coun- 
sels and  activities  of  the  adult  congregation,  and  thus 
the  specific  period  of  teaching  and  training  has  come  to 
a  close.  Before  the  formal  close  of  this  period,  however, 
another  important  step  has  been  taken,  when  the  congre- 
gation, in  so  far  as  that  is  in  her  power,  has  passed  upon 
the  ripeness  of  her  children  for  Communion,  and  thus 
fully  received  them  into  her  fellowship  of  worship.  We 
distinguish  accordingly  between  the  preliminary  and 
the  final  close  of  religious  instruction. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  preliminary  close  of 
religious  teaching  generally  coincides  with  confirmation 
in  the  Lutheran  Church,  we  mean  to  treat  of  that  first. 
Through  Baptism  the  children  have  become  members 
of  the  Church  and,  therewith,  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ 
on  earth.  The  prevenient  grace  of  God  has,  objectively, 
imparted  everything  to  them  which  the  grace  of  Christ 
has  acquired.  They  have  become  children  of  God,  and 
He  has  become  their  father.  This  covenant  of  grace 
being  perpetual,  it  requires  on  the  part  of  God  neither 
repetition  nor  amplification.  Notwithstanding  we  do 
not  admit  infants  and  children  to  Holy  Communion,  a 
refusal  which  implies  rejection  on  our  part  of  the 
"comunio  infantium",  which  was  in  general  vogue  in  the 
Old  Church  and,  here  and  there,  also  in  the  Medieval 
Church  until  the  twelfth  centur}^,  later  to  be  adopted 
once  more  by  the  Bohemian  Brethren  (compare  Lu- 
ther's letter  of  1523  to  Hausmann,  and  the  injunction  by 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  679 

the  Fourth  Lateran  Council,  of  1215,  to  grant  commu- 
nion to  children  who  have  passed  the  seventh  year ;  pp. 
52.  77.  82).  We  recognize  a  bar  to  infant  communion 
in  the  fact  that  Holy  Communion  is  not  in  the  same 
sense  essential  to  salvation  as  the  Word  and  Baptism, 
and  in  the  clear  direction  of  Paul  in  1  Cor.  11,  28.  Inas- 
much as  the  steps,  leading  to  the  altar  are  conditioned  by 
self-examination,  the  mature  congregation  and  the  office 
for  the  administration  of  the  means  of  grace  instituted 
in  her  midst  are  enjoined  from  admitting  those  to  the 
Holy  Supper  who  lack  the  ability  to  examine  themselves. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  Church  has  the  duty  to  train  her 
immature  members  for  such  self-examination  and  con- 
sequent participation  in  that  part  of  her  worship  also  in 
which,  as  yet,  they  have  no  part.  It  is  accordingly  one 
of  the  functions  of  the  training  given  by  the  Church  to 
the  young  of  her  fold,  not  only  to  point  back  again 
and  again  to  the  divine  act  of  Baptism,  but  also  to 
direct  their  eyes  to  the  blessed  gift  upon  the  altar,  and 
to  prepare  them  for  its  reception.  This  is  true  of  cate- 
chumenal  instruction  in  particular,  which,  more  than  all 
other  teaching,  should  bear  the  character  of  preparation 
and  training  for  the  Sacrament  (cp.  pp.  18 — 20;  41.  48)  ; 
which  should  make  the  training  of  heart  and  mind  its 
aim,  and  in  which  the  catechist,  like  the  mature  man 
to  his  youthful  friends,  discloses  the  importance  of  each 
truth  for  the  Christian  life  more  than  before.  If  the  re- 
quired knowledge  of  sin  and  salvation,  and,  as  a  corol- 
lary of  this,  the  capacity  for  self-examination,  have 
been  attained,  the  mature  congregation  has  no  longer  the 
right  to  withhold  Holy  Communion  from  those  hitherto 
immature.  They  now  join  the  number  of  those  whose 
title  to  Holy  Communion  and  full  participation  in  the 


680  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

worship  of  the  Church  must  henceforth  be  conceded. 
With  confirmation,  the  instruction  of  the  young  has 
found  its  preliminary  close.  The  age  at  which  that  is 
done  is  in  itself  a  matter  of  indifference ;  however^  the 
general,  albeit  by  no  means  universal,  practise  of  fixing 
the  transition  period  from  childhood  to  youth  as  the 
time  for  confirmation,  has  the  strongest  arguments  in  its 
behalf  (p.  294).  Much  can  be  said  in  favor  of  the  time 
from  the  sixteenth  to  the  seventeenth  year  (p.  300)  ;  in 
many  regions  of  Germany  it  has  been  given  the  prefer- 
ence, and  some  want  to  see  this  made  a  general  rule ;  but 
who  gives  the  Chuch  the  right  to  withhold  Holy  Com- 
munion longer  than  necessary  from  any  of  her  members ; 
and  who  gives  us  the  assurance  that  we  can  reach  at  this 
later  age  the  same  high  percentage  of  those  baptized  in 
infancy  ? 

Should  the  close  of  instruction  be  signalized  and 
authenticated  also  outwardly  by  a  specific  rite,  before 
and  by  the  adult  congregation?  No  absolute  necessity  for 
such  a  rite  can  be  maintained :  what  we  call  confirmation 
is  merely  an  arrangement  of  the  Church ;  and  the  laying 
on  of  hands  (Acts  8,  19;  Hebr.  6;  1  Tim.  4;  2  Tim.  1, 
etc.),  which  has  been  used  as  argument  is  not  at  all 
spoken  of  by  Scripture  as  connected  with  the  close  of  re- 
ligious instruction  and  apart  from  Baptism.  In  the 
very  homeland  of  the  Reformation,  Electoral  Saxony, 
there  existed,  down  to  the  eighteenth  century,  no  spe- 
cial solemnity  whatever  in  connection  with  the  close 
of  catechetical  instruction!  Yet  we  have  this  opinion 
by  Luther:  "Confirmatio,  ut  volunt  episcopi,  non  cur- 
anda;  sed  tarnen  quisque  pastor  posse  scrutari  a  pueris 
fidem,  quae  si  bona  et  germana  esset,  ut  imponeret 
manus  et  confirmaret,   non   improbamus"    (Sermon  for 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  681 

Laetare,  Luther's  Works,  Weimar  Edition  XI,  66).  And 
in  the  "Reformatio  Wittembergensis"  of  1545  (German 
in  Sehling,  Kirchenordnungen  des  16.  Jahrhunderts  I, 
211),  composed  by  Melanchthon  and  signed  by  Luther, 
we  read :  "Ad  banc  consuetudinem  (catechismi)  sancien- 
dam  prodesset  ritus  confirmationis,  cum,  videlicet  exacta 
pueritia,  jam  firmior  aetas  seu  adolescentia  accederet, 
palam  in  ecclesia,  audienda  esset  integra  doctrinae  con- 
fessio,  et  cum  interrogatus  promitteret  constantiam  in 
hac  ipsa  sententia  recitata  et  in  hujus  ecclesiae  suae  con- 
fessione,  manus  pastoris  ei  imponendae  essent,  et  publica 
precatione  petenda  mentis  et  cordis  in  hoc  confitente  con- 
firmatio  et  gubernatio.  Haec  ceremonia  non  esset  inane 
spectaculum,  ut  nunc  est  episcoporum  ritus,  sed  pro- 
futura  esset  ad  retinendam  doctrinae  puritatem  et  pro- 
pagationem  sententiae  ecclesiasticae,  ad  concordiam  et 
disciplinam".  The  fear  was  prevalent  that,  by  the  intro- 
duction of  such  a  solemn  act  something  of  the  leaven  of 
the  rightly  disesteemed  Roman  confirmation  might  be 
domesticated  in  Lutheran  regions.  The  whole  process  of 
instruction  is  designated  as  the  true  biblical  confirma- 
tion; wherefore,  then,  a  special  rite?  This  is  the  un- 
mistakable drift  of  the  Order  for  Churches  in  Electoral 
Saxony  of  1580.  We  read:  "Let  the  pastors  diligently 
instruct  the  people  that  catechetical  instruction  is  the 
true  Christian  confirmation,  that  is,  a  confirming  of  the 
faith  in  which  the  infant  had  been  baptized.  Upon  this 
the  stress  should  be  laid  in  these  examinations,  and  the 
young  should  be  exhorted  throughout  life  to  conform 
to  the  teaching  which  they  have  received.  Instead  of 
doing  likewise,  the  Papists  substitute  a  show  for  con- 
firmation, which  by  all  Christians  is  avoided  and  shunned 
as  a  mass  of  superstition  and  error"  (Reu  I,  2,  p.  143). 


682    .  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

The  word  "examination"  used  in  this  quotation  does  not 
by  any  means  refer  to  some  concluding  ceremony  but 
merely  to  the  review  of  the  Catechism  during  Lent,  which 
the  young  people  and  the  servants  were  enjoined  to  at- 
tend as  often  as  it  came  around.  And  even  where,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  general  instruction,  a  specific  course  was  ar- 
ranged for  the  benefit  of  the  candidates  for  the  First 
Communion,  a  particular  closing  solemnity  was  by  no 
means  generally  deemed  necessary.  In  1564  we  find  the. 
following  arrangement  in  force  in  the  Ansbach  country : 
"It  is  highly  commendable  that  children  about  twelve 
years  of  age,  before  being  accorded  the  privilege  of  Holy 
Communion,  should  be  enrolled  as  catechumens  at  a  con- 
venient time  of  the  year,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving,  as 
a  substitute  for  papal  confirmation,  and  in  addition  to  the 
usual  catechization,  for  several  consecutive  days  or 
weeks  special  instruction  in  doctrine,  so  that  they  may 
have  the  requisite  intelligence  ("Verstandeshalber")  for 
a  worthy  reception  of  the  Holy  Sacrament  of  the  body 
and  blood  of  our  Lord  and  Savior.  Such  examination 
and  exercise  takes  place  here  at  Onolzbach  for  the  city 
children  on  week  days  at.  twelve  o'clock  between  Easter 
and  Pentecost  for  an  hour  each  day,  and  for  the  vil- 
lage children  who  belong  to  this  parish  on  Sundays  and 
festivals  during  the  period  between  Reminiscere  and  Ex- 
audi  at  one  o'clock,  so  that  they  all  may  receive  the  Holy 
Supper  together  on  Pentecost,  after  each  one  shall  have 
made  his  confession  privately  on  the  day  previous"  (Reu, 
I,  1,  p.  580). 

Notwithstanding,  it  is  readily  seen  why,  already  in 
the  century  of  the  Reformation,  there  developed  in  many 
places  a  specific  rite  for  concluding  the  period  of  reli- 
gious instruction.     In  the  last  analysis  it  is  the  mature 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  683 

congregation  to  which  the  decision  is  left  whether  the 
children,  ''as  far  as  the  intelligence  is  concerned",  as  G. 
Karg  of  Ansbach  fitly  expresses  it,  are  worthy  to  re- 
ceive the  Holy  Communion  or  not,  and  not  the  pastor 
alone.  At  all  events,  the  congregation  has  a  vital  inte- 
rest in  the  new  accessions  that,  in  any  particular  year, 
"as  far  as  their  intelligence  is  concerned",  are  declared 
ready  to  be  added  to  the  number  of  those  already  en- 
titled to  Communion ;  and  so  a  public  act  for  the  declara- 
tion of  such  readiness  seems  to  be  desirable.  Everything 
depends  on  this  that  nothing  is  incorporated  in  this  act 
which  might  be  looked  upon  as  a  factor  supplementary 
to  Baptism,  or  whereby  the  reception  of  Holy  Commu- 
nion becomes  a  matter  of  constraint,  or  whereby  vio- 
lence is  done  to  the  children's  veracity,  or  which  would 
tend  to  bring  about  a  "holy"  congregation  in  the  sense 
of  the  Donatists, — errors  of  which  abundant  traces  are 
found  in  the  history  of  confirmation. 

Inasmuch  as  the  decision  whether  the  knowledge  of 
sin  and  salvation  necessary  to  self-examination  has  been 
acquired  is  a  prerogative  of  the  mature  congregation, 
it  is  desirable  that  the  children  who  have  been  prepared 
for  their  First  Communion  should  be  presented  and  pub- 
licly examined.  This  should  be  done  at  a  time  when  a 
good  attendance  can  be  counted  on,  that  is,  on  some 
Sunday  in  the  forenoon.  Timely  notice  should  be  given ; 
all  should  be  urged  to  attend,  the  church  officers,  par- 
ents, sponsors  particularly.  The  latter  should  be  invited 
to  be  present  at  the  opening  of  the  period  of  instruction 
as  well,  in  order  to  have  their  attention  called  to  its 
importance,  and  to  solicit  their  co-operation  in  making  it 
a  time  of  blessing.  The  examination  should  not  be  a 
mere  recitation  of  the  chief  parts  of  the  Catechism.    On 


684  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  other  hand,  it  should  not  lose  itself  in  a  mass  of 
unimportant  detail,  but  rather  focus  itself  upon  the 
great  fundamental  truths  confessed  by  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church  as  they  have  been  combined  in  the 
Catechism  and,  in  the  form  of  an  unaffected  colloquy, 
furnish  the  evidence  that  the  children  are  conversant 
with  the  same.  Sure  as  it  is  that  now  some  Bible  pas- 
sage, now  some  hymn  stanza,  now  some  section  of  the 
Catechism  should  be  called  for  and  recited  by  the  chil- 
dren, the  public  examination  dare  not  degenerate  to  a 
mere  test  of  the  child's  ability  and  willingness  to  mem- 
orize: the  chief  fact  to  be  established  is  that  the  fun- 
damental truths  of  Christian  doctrine  and  life  have  been 
mastered.  While  the  bashfulness  of  many  children  ex- 
plains the  practise  of  catechist  and  examiner  to  go  pre- 
viously over  the  material  that  is  to  form  the  subject  of 
the  examination,  it  is  clear  that  a  practise  which  makes 
the  children  beforehand  acquainted  with  the  questions 
to  be  answered  defeats  the  very  purpose  of  the  act,  and 
lowers  it  to  the  status  of  a  comedy. — When  the  congre- 
gation has  recognized  that  the  catechumens  possess  the 
requisite  knowledge  of  sin  and  grace,  could  it  do  other- 
wise than  remember  them  in  prayer  at  the  throne  of 
grace?  They  have  been  remembered  during  the  time  of 
instruction  in  the  general  prayer  (cp.  p.  33)  ;  now  it  is 
proper  that  God  should  be  praised  for  having  led  them 
so  far;  prayer  should  be  made  to  Him  to  still  further 
bless  them  with  knowledge  and  with  the  true  saving 
faith,  as  well ;  that  He  should  therefore  strengthen  such 
faith  as  they  already  have  and  thus  make  them  real  and 
useful  members  of  His  body. — The  examination  and 
prayer,  then,  constitute  the  chief  elements  of  this  rite. 
The  examination  should  be  preceded  by  a  discourse — 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  685 

free  or  read  from  the  liturgy— on  the  whole  act  of  con- 
firmation or  on  the  meaning,  appropriateness,  and  sanc- 
tion of  the  examination.  The  prayer  should  be  preceded 
by  an  exhortation  to  sincere  thanksgiving  and  earnest 
entreaties.  The  prayer  may  be  immediately  followed  by 
the  imposition  of  hands  and  the  words  of  blessing  ac- 
companying it  (''Einsegnung").  The  imposition  of 
hands,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  is  nothing  but  an  out- 
ward symbol  of  the  impartation  to  the  individual  of  the 
blessings  that  had  been  invoked  in  the  preceding  prayer 
upon  all  alike.  The  blessings  invoked  by  the  congrega- 
tion, and  the  words  of  blessing  spoken  by  the  pastor 
over  the  individual,  in  which  he  sums  up  the  prayer  of 
the  congregation,  are  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  made 
a  subject  of  his  bodily  perception,  as  it  were.  In  point 
of  form,  these  words  of  blessing  accompanying  the  lay- 
ing on  of  hands  should  be  a  request,  or  petition,  ad- 
dressed to  God. 

The  order  of  the  act  of  confirmation,  as  here  out- 
lined, we  find  in  the  Pomeranian  Liturgy  (the  confir- 
mation was  introduced  in  Pomerania  as  early  as  1544). 
The  words  are:  "The  usage  of  Christian  confirmation 
is  observed  in  the  Church  for  the  sake  of  the  Catechism 
and  of  prayer,  so  that  the  beloved  youth  may  be  in- 
structed in  Christianity,  and  be  tested  in  regard  to  their 
knowledge  of  the  Catechism.  They  shall  not  be  admit- 
ted to  the  Holy  Sacrament  without  knowing  what  they 
do,  which  would  constitute  a  peril  for  them  and  an  of- 
fense to  others;  but  only  after  they  shall  have  learned 
the  Catechism,  so  that  prayers  may  be  said  over  them 
by  the  whole  congregation  in  connection  with  the  im- 
position of  hands,  and  the  blessing  be  pronounced  upon 
them,  whereby  they  will  be  so  confirmed  in  their  Chris- 


686  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

tianity  that  their  Baptism  shall  be  a  comfort  to  them 
against  the  very  devil,. and  they  be  reminded  of  the  duty 
to  live  before  God  in  the  true  faith,  in  holiness,  and 
righteousness  (Sehling,  Kirchenordnungen  des  löten 
Jahrhunderts,  fourth  vol.,  1911,  p.  443).  While  in  the 
"forma  confirmationis"  the  examination  is  not  expressly 
dwelt  upon,  it  is  pre-supposed,  a  clear  reference  to  it  as 
something  already  performed  being  made  to  it.  We 
read:  "And  inasumch  as  there  are  some  children  here 
who  have  said  their  Catechism,  let  us  present  them  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  pray  with  all  our  heart  that 
He  keep  and  confirm  them  in  the  truth  through  the  Holy 
Spirit,  so  that  they  become  immovable  in  their  Chris- 
tianity and  bear  abundant  fruit".  Also  an  address  or 
exhortation  to  the  children,  which  is  even  liturgically 
fixed,  is  already  in  existence.  This  form  of  confirmation 
is  so  appropriate  as  to  arouse  the  desire  in  us  that,  if 
there  was  to  be  a  rite  of  confirmation  for  bringing  the 
period  of  instruction  to  a  close  at  all,  this  particular  form 
might  have  gained  universal  vogue. 

But  is  not,  in  addition  to  examination  and  prayer, 
the  confession  of  faith  an  integral  part  of  the  concluding 
solemnity?  Is  it  not  even  the  most  important  element? 
We  meet  this  view  in  the  sixteenth  century  mainly  where 
the  Church  was  in  conflict  with  the  Ana-baptists  and  the 
Schwenckfeldians.  Occasionally  it  found  expression  in 
such  a  way  that  notjiing  was  required  save  the  bare 
confession  of  faith.  As  a  case  in  point,  we  read  in  the 
Order  for  the  Principality  of  Liegnitz  and  Brieg  of  1535 : 
"When  the  children  grow  in  age  and  grace,  they  shall 
be  presented  by  their  parents  and  sponsors  to  the  min- 
isters before  the  assembled  congregation,  so  that  they 
may  make  a  public  confession  of  their  faith,  which  is  to 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  687 

take  the  place  of  confirmation"  (Sehling,  above  work, 
3d  vol.,  p.  436).  Then  again  the  promise  was  connected 
with  the  confession  of  faith  willingly  to  subject  oneself 
to  the  discipline  of  the  congregation.  Butzer  succeeded 
in  incorporating  this  latter  feature  in  the  confirmation 
act;  thus  in  Hesse  in  1538  or  1539  resp.;  in  Strassburg 
no  later  than  1543,  at  least  in  his  own  Church,  though 
only  for  a  limited  period.  From  these  places  the  prac- 
tise spread  to  other  regions.  Schwenckfeld  and  the 
Ana-baptists  had  reproached  the  State  Churches,  which 
began  to  be  organized  since  about  1530,  that  they  had  no 
assurance  of  the  subjective  holiness  of  their  members 
since  their  membership  was  linked  altogether  to  infant 
baptism,  "all  difference  between  those  without  and  those 
within  thus  being  eliminated".  This  was  indeed  a  great 
offense  to  them;  for  they  did  not,  like  Luther,  base  the 
holiness  of  the  Church  upon  the  existence  and  adminis- 
tration in  her  midst  of  the  Word  and  Sacraments,  but 
upon  the  subjective  holiness  of  her  members — a  view 
clearly  Donatistic,  which  induced  them  to  see  the  real 
task  of  the  Church  in  disciplining  her  members  into 
holiness.  From  those  premises  but  two  conclusions 
were  possible:  either  substitution  of  adult  baptism  for 
that  of  infants,  not  to  be  administered  at  all  until 
subjective  holiness  and  membership  in  the  body  of  Christ 
Jiave  been  attained;  or  amplification  of  infant  baptism 
by  a  ceremony  in  which  the  children,  upon  attaining  to 
mental  maturity  and  an  actual  surrender  to  Christ,  be- 
come subject  to  the  discipline  of  the  Church  (the  latter 
is  expressly  recommended  by  Schwenckfeld  as  a  way  out 
of  the  difficulty  in  case  the  first  step  does  not  find  favor, 
Epistolarium  II,  p.  126).  Either  of  these  ways,  it  was 
urged,  would  lead  to  a  separation  of  men  and  thus  to 


688  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

the  establishment  of  a  "pure"  congregation.  Butzer, 
who  stood  quite  as  much  under  the  influence  of  the  en- 
thusiast and  spiritual  kinsman  of  the  Baptists  Zwingli 
as  under  that  of  Luther,  was  deeply  impressed  with 
SchwTenckfeld's  contention.  Accordingly,  when  he  was 
called  to  Hesse  in  1538,  in  order  to  check  the  Baptist 
movement,  which  had  found  there  an  extremely  fertile 
field,  he  saw  his  surest  way  to  success  in  recommending 
for  adoption  a  form  for  confirmation  which  contained 
these  two  features :  surrender  to  Christ,  in  the  form  of  a 
confession  of  faith,  on  the  part  of  those  baptized  in  in- 
fancy, and  subjection  to  the  discipline  of  the  Church. 
What  his  views  in  the  premises  were,  it  matters  not. 
It  may  be  that  he  did  not  perceive  the  implication  that 
only  such  should  have  part  in  confirmation  as  had  sur- 
rendered to  Christ  not  with  the  lip  alone  but  also  with 
the  heart ;  or  he  may  have  been  of  the  opinion  that  every- 
one has  surrendered  to  Christ  who  has  learned  his  Cate- 
chism ;  or,  finally,  that  he  went  back  to  the  popish  no- 
tion that  the  Church  imparts  the  Holy  Spirit  to  everyone 
who  submits  to  the  imposition  of  hands :  so  much  is 
certain  that  the  incorporation  in  the  confirmation  act  of 
the  Creed  as  a  surrender  to  Jesus  Christ  or  to  the  Tri- 
une God,  of  subjection  to  the  discipline  of  the  Church, 
and  of  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  through  the  laying  on 
of  hands,  signifies  the  foisting  upon  confirmation  of. 
an  element  which  has  grown  neither  upon  the  soil  of 
Scripture  nor  upon  that  of  the  Lutheran  doctrine  con- 
cerning the  Church  and  the  means  of  grace,  nor  upon 
that  of  catechetical  expediency,  but  upon  that  of  postu- 
lates extremely  dubious,  thus  entering,  as  a  foreign 
body,  the  Lutheran  Church  from  without. 

In  the  Ziegenhain  Order  of  Church   Discipline,  completed 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  689 

in  1538  and  published  in  1539,  which  is  mainly  the  work  of 
Butzer,  we  read :  "Children  who,  through  catechization,  are 
far  enough  advanced  in  the  knowledge  of  things  Christian  to  be 
permitted  to  go  to  the  Lord's  Table,  shall,  at  the  instance  of  the 
ciders  and  ministers,  be  presented  by  their  parents  and  spon- 
sors to  the  pastor,  on  the  occasion  of  some  great  festival  such 
as  Christmas,  Easjter,  or  Pentecost,  and  at  a  place  appointed  for 
the  purpose.  There  the  elders  and  all  other  ministers  of  the 
Word  shall  surround  the  pastor.  Then  the  pastor  shall  exam- 
ine the  children  in  regard  to  the  chief  articles  of  the  Christian 
faith  and,  when  they  shall  have  made  reply  and  publicly  sur- 
rendered themselves  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  pastor  shall 
admonish  the  congregation  to  ask  the  Lord  of  those  children 
for  perseverance  in  their  behalf  and  for  an  increase  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  such  prayer  to  be  concluded  by  a  collect.  Last  of 
all,  the  pastor  shall  put  his  hands  upon  the  children,  thus  con- 
firming them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  and  receiving  them  into 
Christian  fellowship.  He  should  also  admit  them  to  the  Table 
of  the  Lord,  but  not  without  an  admonition  to  continue  in  the 
obedience  of  faith,  and  always  to  receive  in  good  part  and  to 
heed  faithfully  Christian  discipline  and  reproof  from  each  and 
every  Christian,  especially  from  the  pastors"  (Reu  I,  21,  p.  411). 
—In  the  Church  Regulations  of  Cassel  of  1539,  in  close  agree- 
ment with  the  regulations  of  Ziegenhain,-  we  find  an  "Order  of 
Confirmation  and  the  Laying  on  of  Hands".  Here  we  read 
in  the  introduction :  "The  ministers  of  the  Word  shall  prepare 
the  children  to  be  received  into  full  membership  during  the 
week  before  that  event;  and  the  children  themselves  shall  sev- 
erally, each  one  with  his  own  lips,  before  the  minis- 
ters of  the  Word  and  the  elders,  make  their  confession  and 
signal  their  surrender  to  Christ".  The  rite  proper  thereupon 
begins  with  the  examination  of  the  catechumens,  which  has  been 
fixed  in  liturgical  form.  However,  this  examination  does  not 
purport  to  be  primarily  a  test,  but  rather  a  confession  of  the 
state  of  trie  children's  hearts  and  of  their  surrender  to  Christ. 
For  we  read  in  the  conclusion :  "Do  you  intend  to  do  and 
observe  all  this  as  you  have  confessed?  Answer:  Yes,  by  the 
help  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. — When,  thereupon,  one  of  the 
children  shall  have  made  its  confession  in  good,  clear  language, 
as  here  prescribed,  this  question  shall  be  put  to  the  others  one 


690  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

by  one:  Do  you  believe  and  confess;  and  will  you  enter  the 
fellowship  and  obedience  of  the  Church  of  Christ  just  as,  at  this 
moment,  this  child  has  confessed  its  faith  within  your  hearing 
and  has  entered  the  fellowship  of  the  Church?  It  shall  be 
deemed  sufficient  when  the  other  children  shall  answer :  Yes, 
by  the  help  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  they  should  always 
be  earnestly  reminded  that  they  stand  before  the  Lord,  whom 
they  cannot  deceive,  so  that  their  yes  is  yes  indeed.  And,  some 
time  during  the  week  of  preparation,  each  child  shall  person- 
ally make  the  prescribed  confession  before  the  elders  and  min- 
isters of  the  Word.  However,  the  test  should  not  consist  in 
mere  words  smoothly  uttered,  since  even  godly  and  spiritually 
mature  children  may  not  be  capable  of  fluent  answers.  What 
should  be  insisted  on  is  that  the  faith  is  comprehended,  not  that 
words  are  smoothly  uttered,  which  is  possible  for  those  very 
ones  who  understand  them  least  in  the  true  spirit".  What 
was  meant  by  surrender  to  the  obedience  of  the  Church,  may  be 
seen  from  the  answer  to  the  question :  "What  does  such  fellow- 
ship of  the  Church  imply?"  The  answer  is:  "That  I  practice 
strict  obedience  to  the  Word  of  God,  by  hearing  it  at  stated 
times,  when  proclaimed  by  the  appointed  servants  or  min- 
isters of  the  Church,  on  Sundays  particularly;  also,  by  submit- 
ting with  due  humility  to  the  reproof  administered  by  the  eld- 
ers and  any  other  Christians  for  sin  on  my  part  and  making 
proper  amends ;  moreover,  by  instructing  and  restoring  my  fel- 
low-Christians whom  I  find  on  the  wrong  way,  or  informing 
such  other  good  Christians  of  the  matter  who  in  my  judg- 
ment are  competent  to  help  those  in  error;  but,  should  these, 
too,  prove  powerless  in  the  matter,  by  laying  the  matter 
before  the  common  pastors  and  elders  for  adjustment;  but,  if 
those  in  error  shall  refuse  to  hear  the  Church  in  the  persons  of 
said  pastors  and  elders,  and  are  put  in  the  ban  in  consequence, 
by  likewise  treating  them  as  excommunicated,  or  hea- 
then people".  Such  surrender  to  Christ  and  passing  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  Church  is  followed  by  the  prayer  of  the  con- 
gregation (that  prescribed  in  the  Cassel  liturgy  later  passed 
into  many  other  liturgies,  for  instance,  Loehe's,  although  usu- 
ally somewhat  altered).  Then  comes  the  laying  on  of  hands: 
"Thereupon  the  pastor  shall  lay  his  hands  upon  them  and  say: 
Receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  a  protection  and  shield  against  all 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  691 

evil,  as  a  power  and  help  for  all  good,  from  the  gracious  hand 
of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  Holy  Spirit.  Amen". 
This  order  of  confirmation  passed  later,  in  all  its  fundamental 
features,  into  the  Church  Regulations  of  1566  and  also  those 
of  1574,  which  were  in  force  all  over  the  landgraviate  of  Hesse 
(Reu,  I,  21,  pp.  1078— 1083).— In  his  Catechism  of  1543  (pos- 
sibly before  that) — an  enlarged  edition  of  that  of  1537  and  in- 
tended "for  the  pupils  and  other  children  of  Strassburg",  Butzer 
inserted  a  special  section  on  "Confirmation  in  the  Christian 
Faith".  Here,  after  the  "Explanation  of  the  Divine  Services" 
and  the  "Explanation  of  the  Sacraments",  we  come  upon  the 
following  series  of  questions  :  "Teacher :  What  other  usages 
and  rites  are  found  in  the  Christian  congregation?  Answer: 
In  the  first  place,  the  public  confirmation  of  the  Christian  faith 
of  those  baptized  in  infancy.  Teacher :  How  is  that  to  take 
place?  Answer:  When  we  children  have  been  instructed  in 
the  Christian  faith,  we  are  to  make  confession  of  it  before  the 
whole  Christian  congregation  with  our  own  heart  and  lips,  and 
thus  enter  into  the  covenant  with  the  Lord,  and  the  fellowship 
and  obedience  of  the  Church;  having  been  unable  to  do  this 
at  Holy  Baptism,  we  are  confirmed  in  these  things  by  the 
Church.  Teacher:  Whence  have  you  learned  this?  Answer: 
The  Scriptures  teach  that  all  believers  shall  enter  into  the 
covenant  of  the  Lord  by  their  own  faith  and  confession;  and 
Saint  Paul  says.  Rom.  10:  He  that  believeth  with  the  heart, 
etc.  Teacher :  How  shall  you  be  confirmed  by  the  Church  in 
the  faith  and  covenant  of  the  Lord?  Answer:  Through  the 
joint  blessing  and  intercession  of  the  Church  and  the  laying  on 
of  hands.  Teacher :  Where  do  you  find  authority  for  these 
things?  Answer:  In  the  invitation  of  the  Lord  Jesus:  Suffer 
the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  etc.  Teacher :  What  does 
the  sign  of  the  laying  on  of  hands  signify?  Answer:  That  the 
children  therewith  have  been  placed  under  the  almighty  hand 
of  Almighty  God,  whose  care,  protection,  and  gracious  guid- 
ance have  thus  been  promised  and  pledged  to  them.  Teacher : 
Who  is  to  put  his  hands  upon  the  children  and  bless  them? 
Answer  :  the  regular  ministers  of  the  Church  in  behalf  of  the 
whole  congregation,  which  is  to  be  a  witness  to  this.  Teacher  : 
But  the  Lord  has  not  enjoined  the  use  of  this  sign?  Answer: 
Inasmuch  as  He  and  the  holy  apostles  have  used  this  sign  for 


692  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

such  purposes  with  great  blessing,  it  behooves  us  likewise  to 
use  it  in  His  name;  the  Lord  will  be  present  with  His  Spirit 
and  work,  and,  according  to  the  prayer  of  the  Church,  uttered  in 
obedience  to  the  Word,  He  will  graciously  confirm  such  chil- 
dren as  members  of  His  kingdom.  Teacher :  What  is  all  this 
to  lead  to,  so  far  as  you  are  concerned?  Answer:  In  this 
that  I  diligently  attend  the  children's  class,  and  properly  learn 
the  Christian  faith,  confess  it  in  due  time  and  be  confirmed 
therein  to  my  salvation.  Teacher:  What  else?  Answer:  In 
this  that  I  may  be  assured  of  the  protection  and  guidance  of  the 
divine  hand  for  the  purpose  of  a  Christian  life  in  every  respect, 
and  for  my  protection  against  the  old  wicked  foe,  and  that  I 
eternally  praise  and  bless  God  my  heavenly  Father,  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Teacher:  In  the  third  place?  Answer: 
In  this  that  I  make  every  effort  to  keep  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord,  remain  in  constant  touch  with  His  Church,  and  faith- 
fully receive  and  use  the  divine  doctrine,  the  Holy  Sacraments, 
and  church  discipline".  Butzer's  meaning  of  penitential  dis- 
cipline ("Busszucht")  is  then  explained  in  a  special  voluminous 
section  in  the  sense  of  "obedience  of  the  Church"  spoken  of 
by  the  Cassel  Church  Order  of  1539;  an  explanation  of  "cove- 
nant with  God  and  true  fellowship  of  the  Church  of  Christ" 
is  afterwards  also  given  in  the  same  Catechism  (Reu  I,  1,  p. 
7.  93  ff.  104  f.). 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that,  in  deference  to  this  pre- 
cedent, also  in  other  districts  those  two  parts — surren- 
der to  Jesus  Christ  by  the  -confession  of  faith  and  sub- 
mission to  the  obedience  of  the  Church — were  incor- 
porated in  the  confirmation  rite  (cp.  especially  Sarce- 
rius,  who,  before  his  sojourn  in  Nassau,  had  probably 
become  conversant  with  the  Church  Regulations  of  Cas- 
sel;  Reu,  I,  2\  p.  100  ff.)-  If  the  latter  element  was 
disregarded,  at  least  the  confession  of  faith  was  appro- 
priated. This  resulted  in  the  assembling  of  the  follow- 
ing three  constituent  parts  of  the  concluding  rite  of 
religious  instruction:  exploratio,  or  examinatio ;  con- 
fessio ;  oratio.    These  three  elements  are  met  with  again, 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  693 

for  instance,  in  the  Church  Regulations  for  Brunswick- 
Wolf  enbuettel  of  1569,  where,  however,  they  are  less 
weighted  down  by  Butzer's  notions  than  is  generally  the 
case  elsewhere. 

Here  we  read  :  "When  a  number  of  children  are  found  who 
have  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  chief  parts  of  the 
Christian  faith  through  their  Catechism,  a  list  of  them  shall  be 
prepared  by  the  pastor  of  each  place  and  laid  before  the  super- 
intendent at  his  appearance  for  the  annual  visitation,  in  order 
that  they  may  be  publicly  confirmed  and  strengthened  in  their 
faith  on  some  particular  Sunday  to  be  determined  upon,  or  on 
whatever  occasion  may  prove  expedient.  While  the  superin- 
tendent is  present,  the  bells  shall  be  rung  according  to  custom 
and  the  people  be  summoned  together.  But  the  children  that 
have  been  presented  to  the  superintendent,  together  with  their 
parents  and  sponsors,  shall  stand  apart  by  themselves,  prefer- 
ably before  the  front  altar,  where  they  may  be  seen  by  every- 
one". After  a  discourse  by  the  superintendent  upon  the  spe- 
cial purpose  of  the  service  "the  superintendent  shall  examine 
the  children  on  the  chief  parts  of  the  Christian  faith,  requiring 
them  to  recite  the  whole  Catechism  without  the  explanations, 
whereupon  he  shall  question  them  on  the  chief  articles  as  ex- 
pressed in  Dr.  Luther's  Catechism.  When  he  has  found  that  the 
answers  and  confession  of  faith  made  are  creditable  to  chil- 
dren of  their  age,  he  shall  commend  their  diligence  before  the 
whole  congregation;  he  shall  dwell,  at  length  upon  the  great 
treasure  possessed  by  the  children  in  such  knowledge,  in  that 
God  has  joined  Himself  to  them  in  grace  as  their  father,  never, 
whatever  their  distress,  to  permit  them  to  perish,  as  long  as 
they  shall  persevere  in  such  knowledge,  faith,  and  confession. 
The  examination  over  with,  the  superintendent  shall  ask  the 
children  whether  they  will  persevere  in  such  knowledge,  faith, 
and  confession,  and  whether,  having  renounced  the  devil  and 
all  his  works  and  all  his  ways,  they  are  determined  henceforth 
to  abide  in  this  godly  endeavor  to  the  end.  And  they  shall 
answer:  Yes,  by  the  grace  of  almighty  God,  which  we  desire 
and  pray  for  with  all  our  hearts.  Then  the  superintendent  shall 
once  more  address  words  of  instruction  and  exhortation  to  the 
congregation  assembled,  after  having  given  thanks  to  God  for 


694  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

giving  to  these  children  His  Holy  Spirit,  by  whose  grace  they 
have  come  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  His  dear  Son,  a  fact  which 
should  prompt  the  whole  congregation  to  walk  before  those  chil- 
dren blameless  and  without  offense,  and  be  preserved  in  such 
godly  conversation  unto  eternal  life".  The  superintendent's 
exhortation  is  followed  by  a  prayer  of  the  congregation  in  behalf 
of  the  children  ("and  wherever  the  laying  on  of  hands  is  in 
favor  as  a  free  adiaphoron,  there  shall  be  no  impediment  there- 
to"), whereupon  the  superintendent  shall  conclude  the  whole 
ceremony  with  the  blessing  of  Aaron,  and  the  congregation  shall 
sing  "Come,  Holy  Ghost,  etc.".  This  shall  be  followed  by 
Holy  Communion.  It  would  not  only  be  highly  proper,  but  a 
further  encouragement  of  the  children  in  their  godly  endeavor 
if  the  parents  and  sponsors  should  join  them  at  once  in  the  re- 
ception of  the  Holy  Communion"  (Richter,  Kirchenordnungen, 
II,  p.  320  f.). 

By  no  means  on  a  level  with  the  order  of  confirma- 
tion as  outlined  above  is  Luther's  explanation  of  1523 
(p.  680)  ;  for,  while  there  a  confession  of  the  faith  of  the 
heart  is  dealt  with,  Luther  speaks  of  the  "fides  quae  cre- 
ditur",  as  we  see  from  the  added  clause:  "quae  si  bona 
et  germana  esset".  He  confesses  his  readiness  to  favor 
the  adoption  of  a  rite  which  brings  out  that  those  bap- 
tized in  infancy  have  obtained  the  knowledge  of  the 
true  way  of  salvation,  and  in  which  the  hands  are  laid 
upon  those  who  give  evidence  of  this.  What  Luther 
calls  "scrutatio"  is  simply  the  examination.  An  examina- 
tion as  to  the  existence  of  the  requisite  knowledge  also  is 
the  point  raised  by  the  Reformatio  Wittembergensis  of 
1545  (p.  681),  a  view  suggested  by  its  definition  of 
confirmation  as  "integra  doctrinae  confessio",  and  by 
its  statement  of  aim:  "Profutura  esset  ad  retinendam 
doctrinae  puritatem  et  propagationem  sententiae  eccle- 
siasticae,  ad  concordiam  et  disciplinam".  The  promise, 
also,  which  is  to  be  exacted  according  to  Luther's  recom- 
mendation, embraces  nothing  but  a  statement  of  pur- 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  695 

pose  to  adhere  to  the  doctrine  here  confessed.  A  simi- 
lar promise  appears  to  have  been  in  the  mind  of  those 
responsible  for  the  Church  Regulations  for  Pomerania 
of  1569  (p.  685),  where  at  the  end  of  the  exhortation 
(there  is  no  hint  of  a  question),  the  assembled  children 
are  told :  "To  this,  all  say :  yes"  (Sehling,  4th  vol.,  p. 
444).  Such  a  close,  indeed,  would  not  be  out  of 
keeping  with  our  postulates.  As  we  have  no  evidence 
that  God,  during  the  time  of  instruction,  intends  to 
work  saving  faith  in  the  children  entrusted  to  us  and  as 
experience  proves,  that  in  many  cases  he  actually  does 
not  work  it  during  that  period,  we  absolutely  refused 
to  set  the  aim  of  catechetical  instruction  in  the  establish- 
ment of  saving  faith  (p.  309)  ;  how  could  we  now  expect 
at  the  time  of  confirmation  from  all  catechized  children 
alike  the  confession  of  their  saving  faith,  the  faith  of 
their  hearts,  and  require  all  to  go  to  Holy  Communion? 
Should  we  not,  in  that  case,  do  violence  to  our  own  better 
judgment  and  put  a  falsehood  upon  the  lips  of  those 
children  in  whom  saving  faith  has  not  been  aroused  as 
yet?  No  doubt,  congregational  conditions  in  a  free 
Church  are  much  better  than  those  in  a  State  Church, 
and  many  reasons  which  require  in  the  latter  the  aboli- 
tion of  a  confession  of  an  inner  faith  either  do  not  exist 
among  us  at  all  or  they  do  not  have  the  weight  which 
they  have  elsewhere;  but  this  much  is  true  of  the  free 
Church  as  well  that  we  have  no  absolute  assurance  that 
all  the  children  instructed  by  us  are  in  a  state  of  saving 
faith  at  the  end  of  the  period  of  instruction.  For  this 
reason  the  Church — for  the  individual  cannot,  without 
further  ado,  set  aside  church  order — should  no  longer 
hesitate  to  place  the  question  as  to  the  utility  of  the 
present  form  of  confirmation  upon  the  order  of  the  day,' 


696  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

and  to  eliminate  from  her  liturgic  forms  the  confession 
of  an  inner  faith,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact  that  she 
is  neither  able  nor  willing  to  investigate  the  inner  con- 
dition of  her  children  and  to  reject  from  confirmation 
all  those  in  whose  hearts,  in  her  opinion,  saving  faith 
has  not  yet  been  enkindled,  and  thus  create,  among  the 
number  of  the  baptized,  a  communion  of  souls  truly 
sanctified.  Everything  that  cannot  be  expected  of  all 
participants  should  be  eliminated  from  the  rite.  Quite 
another  thing  than  the  confession  of  an  inner  faith  is 
the  assent  to  the  correctness  of  the  evangelical  way  of 
salvation,  especially  as  formulated  in  Luther's  Cate- 
chism. Such  assent,  in  normal  conditions,  particularly 
in  a  free  Church,  can  be  looked  upon  as  a  fruit  of  reli- 
gious instruction  within  the  reach  of  all  children.  If  it 
were  solemnly  proclaimed  in  the  rite  of  confirmation,  it 
would  virtually  be  the  solemn  climax  of  the  examination. 
With  that  the  promise  could  quite  properly  be  connected 
to  remain  true  to  the  way  of  salvation  recognized  as 
right  and  to  the  Church  that  points  it  out.*).  We  could, 
however,  refrain  from  supplying  confirmation  with  this 
solemn  double  climax  and  confine  ourselves  simply  to  ex- 
amination and  prayer.  On  the  other  hand,  the  complete 
abolition  of  such  a  concluding  solemnity  and,  therewith, 
a  return  to  early  usage,  in  Electoral  Saxony  especially 


*)  This  dare  not  be  confounded  with  the  pledge  peculiar  to 
the  confirmation  of  the  Pietists,  which  arises  from  different  pre- 
mises and  has  a  different  meaning.  Infringing  upon  Baptism 
(completion  of  regeneration;  renewal  of  the  baptismal  covenant 
by  an  act  of  God,  etc.)  the  latter  shows  rather  an  inner  affi- 
nity to  the  Hessian  Church  Regulations.  It  should  be  remem- 
bered that  it  was  a  village  in  Hesse  in  which  Spener,  for  the 
first  time,  witnessed  confirmation  (p.  147  f.). 


The  Preliminary  Close  by  Confirmation  697 

(p.  681),  would  hardly  be  advisable  at  this  late  day.  For 
many  a  code  of  Church  Regulations  has  said  in  truth 
that  it  is  much  easier  to  convince  both  children  and  par- 
ents of  the  necessity  of  faithfully  submitting  to  instruc- 
tion when  young,  if  it  be  made  to  issue  in  a  solemn  rite 
connected  with  the  solemn  presentation  and  examination 
of  the  catechumens  before  the  assembled  congregation 
— a  rite  in  which  also  the  public  declaration  of  the  child's 
intellectual  readiness  for  the  Holy  Supper  and  admission 
to  full  participation  in  the  worship  of  the  mature  con- 
gregation, inclusive  of  the  privilege  of  sponsorship, 
may  be  made, — than  if  such  concluding  solemnity  should 
be  dispensed  with. 

When  the  privilege  of  participation  in  Holy  Com- 
munion is  given  in  connection  with  the  rite  of  confirma- 
tion, it  can,  of  course,  have  no  other  force  than  that  of 
an  affirmation  that  the  children  are  now  possessed  of  the 
intellectual  maturity  and  consequent  capacity  for  self- 
examination  ("intellectually  prepared"  worthily  to  re- 
ceive the  Holy  Supper,  George  Karg,  1565,  p.  682.  No- 
wise is  the  inward  worthiness  of  the  catechumens  thus 
affirmed.  Much  as  the  catechist  should  endeavor  to  im- 
press upon  his  catechumens  throughout  the  period  of  in- 
struction, during  the  last  weeks  particularly,  the  blessing 
of  the  Holy  Supper,  and,  so  far  as  that  is  in  his  power, 
to  arouse  desire  for  it,  he  will  now,  instead  of  simply 
declaring  his  catechumens  prepared  for  the  Holy  Sup- 
per, emphasize  very  strenuously  that  this  is  the  case  only 
when  repentance  for  sin,  faith  in  the  grace  of  God,  de- 
sire for  the  assurance  of  forgiveness,  dwell  in  their 
hearts.  He  will,  furthermore,  carefully  refrain  from 
anything  that  might  be  felt  as  constraint.  For  this  rea- 
son the  first  communion  will  not  be  set  for  the  day  of 


698  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

confirmation  but  for  a  day  a  week  or  two  afterward, 
preferably  for  a  day  on  which  the  congregation  has  been 
wont  to  celebrate  the  sacrament  and  on  which  rather  a 

m 

large  than  a  small  number  of  communicants  is  likely  to 
appear  at  the  altar.  He  will  assign  to  the  catechumens 
no  particular  place  which  would  make  it  easy  for  the 
congregation  to  determine  the  number  of  catechumens 
participating  in  the  sacrament,  or  even  to  challenge  such 
investigation.  He  will  rather,  whenever  the  occasion 
calls  for  it,  make  it  plain  that  participation  in  confirma- 
tion does  not  under  all  circumstances  require-  partici- 
pation in  Communion.  As  long  as  the  order 
of  worship  observed  in  the  congregation  provides  for 
a  confession  of  an  inner  faith,  he  will  endeavor  to  im- 
part to  children  as  well  as  parents  the  information  that 
no  confession  of  saving  faith  is  forced  from  anyone  on 
the  ground  of  his  submission  to  the  examination.  Much 
as  he  will  endeavor  in  his  capacity  as  a  faithful  pastor 
to  guard  his  catechumens  against  a  false  profession  and 
participation  in  the  Sacrament  by  constraint,  he  will 
subsequently  be  impelled  by  the  same  pastoral  fidelity 
to  continue  his  solicitude  for  those  who  have  stayed 
away  from  the  Table  of  the  Lord.  He  knows  who  they 
are;  for,  if  at  any  time,  it  is  in  connection  with  the  first 
participation  in  the  Holy  Sacrament  that  personal  an- 
nouncement should  be  insisted  upon,  and  therefore  pas- 
toral fidelity  will  impel  him  to  keep  an  eye  upon  them  in 
connection  with  the  various  educational  channels  that 
continue  to  flow  after  confirmation.  He  trusts  in  God 
for  the  arrival  of  "time  and  hour"  also  for  these;  but  he 
will  -beware  of  dragging  it  in  artificially.  If  he  can  only 
succeed  in  maintaining  the  connection  of  such  as  these 
with  the  Word  as  means  of  grace,  he  awaits  further  de- 


The  Final  Close  of  Religious  Instruction  699 

velopments  in  patience  and  confidence.  And  should  even 
this  connection  be  torn  apart,  he  still  knows  that  the 
arm  of  God  is  not  foreshortened;  but  that,  even  in  that 
case,  He  can  lead  them  back  again  to  the  fold.  Nor 
will  he  forget  that  such  a  passage  as  2  Cor.  2,  15 — 16  is 
found  in  the  Bible. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  pastor  performing  the  confir- 
mation rite  to  give  to  those  confirmed  a  certificate  of 
their  confirmation,  which,  should  they  change  their  dom- 
icile, would  serve  for  identification.  It  is  advisable  that 
this  certificate  should  be  adorned  with  a  Bible  pas- 
sage throbbing  with  life  and  power,  streaming  light  and 
shouting  warnings — a  message  from  on  high  for  the 
catechumen  whenever  and  wherever  beheld. 

40.     The  Final  Close  of  Religious  Instruction. 

E.  Sachsse,  p.  423,  1897.— K.  Knoke,  Recht  und  Pflicht  der 
evangelischen  Kirche  hinsichtlich  der  religioesen  Unterweisung 
ihrer  heranwachsenden   Jugend,    1912. 

That  religious  instruction  cannot  have  come  to  a 
final  close  with  confirmation,  performed  at  an  age  of  13 
or  14  years,  has  already  been  shown  in  the  preceding 
chapters.  We  have  seen  that  religious  instruction  must 
continue  because  its  aim  is  not  (intellecual)  maturity  for 
participation  in  the  Sacrament,  but  maturity  for  full 
participation  in  all  privileges  and  duties  of  the  con- 
gregation. The  educational  agencies  at  our  command 
for  such  further  religious  education,  and  the  material 
available  for  the  purpose  have  likewise  been  dealt  with. 
The  only  question  remaining  is  whether  the  instruction 
given  after  confirmation  is  to  be  concluded  by  a  special 
ceremony.  It  has  been  proposed  that  when  the  pupil 
passes  from  the  Junior,  or  obligatory,  branch  of  the 
Luther  League  to  the  Senior  branch,  which  is  optional, 


700  The  Close  of  Religious  Instruction 

that  is,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  or  seventeen,  dismissal  from 
these  institutions  should  be  signalized  in  the  form  of  a 
special  service,  accompanied  by  a  certificate  showing 
completion  of  the  post-confirmation  course  in  religious 
instruction — something  like  a  confirmation  certificate 
— and  by  conferring  upon  him  at  this  time,  not  at  con- 
firmation, the  privilege  of  sponsorship.  The  history  of 
confirmation  proves  that  such  a  concluding  ceremony 
would  tend  to  make  a  post-confirmation  course  in  re- 
ligious training  and  discipline  more  general.  That  chil- 
dren of  thirteen  are  not  usually  competent  to  fulfil  the 
obligations  assumed  in  connection  with  sponsorship,  and 
that  the  question  whether  the  privilege  of  sponsorship 
might  not  well  be  detached  from  confirmation,  is  sub- 
ject to  a  reconsideration,  is  self-evident.  So  far  as  the 
Senior  Luther  League  is  concerned,  there  is  less  need 
for  a  concluding  solemnity  after  several  years  of  mem- 
bership since  identification  with  it  is  optional  in  any 
event,  and  a  definite  time  for  membership  cannot  be  fix- 
ed. However,  in  the  case  of  men,  such  a  concluding 
solemnity  might  coincide  with  the  attainment  of  their 
majority  and  simultaneous  reception  to  voting  mem- 
bership ;  in  the  case  of  women,  generally  with  entrance 
upon  matrimonial  life.  No  other  features  would  be 
necessary  than  the  gift  of  a  Bible,  a  prayer,  and  the 
benediction.  More  important,  of  course,  than  any  con- 
cluding solemnity  is  the  further  care  for  the  confirmed 
itself.  A  close  of  religious  instruction  and  training  in 
the  sense  of  perfect  spiritual  maturity  does  not  exist 
here  below.  While  particular  forms  of  the  care  for  souls 
have  come  to  an  end,  the  general  care  through  the  Word 
and  Holy  Sacrament  is  to  continue. 


L     Index  of  Names 


Abbot  323. 

Abelard  72. 

Achelis  168,  380. 

Ackermann  161. 

Aetheria   30. 

Agricola  90  f.,  94. 

Ahlfeldt  162. 

Albrecht     85,     357,     366,     380, 

383  f.,   404. 
Alcuin  58  f.,  63  f.,  69. 
Althamer  94,  387. 
Ambrose  30. 
Anabaptists  686. 
Andreae,  J.  Val.  140,  150,  554. 
Ansgar  61. 
Apologists    11. 
Apostolic  Constitutions  24,  27, 

45,  52,  55. 
Apostolic  Fathers  11,  22. 
Aquila  392. 
Arndt,   J.    137,    140. 
Arndt,   K.    F.   L.    162. 
Arnold  of  Villanova  73. 
Asbury  186. 
Augustine  28,  30  f.,  36  f.,  38,  49, 

53,  59,  63  ff,  93,  106,  166,  339, 

603. 
Augustine  (Monk)  61. 
Bahrt,  C.  F.  153,  157. 
Barnabas   22. 
Basedow  153,  155,  157. 
Basil  29,  45,  50,  55,  57. 
Baumgarten,  O.  168. 
Baumgarten,   S.   J.    155. 
BeatusRhenanus  87. 
Beck  163. 
Bellamy    175. 
Berndt  670. 

.Berthold  of  Regensburg  76. 
Besch  355. 
Bischoff  129,  357,  392. 


Bittorf  645.      . 

Blakeslee  200. 

Boeckh  161. 

Bohemian    Brethren    71,    74  f, 

82,  678. 
Boltzius  202. 
Bomhard  161. 
Boniface  59,  61  ff,  65. 
Bonnus  128. 
Boville    216. 
Brandt  161. 
Braunfels    103. 
Brenz    94,    102,    112,    130,    150, 

162,  386  f. 
B rieger  564,  566. 
Brobst  206,  208. 
Brueckner  461. 
Brunchorst  142. 
Brunnholz  202. 
Bruno  of  Wuerzburg  58  f. 
Buchrucker  163  f,  168,  340. 
Buddeus    152. 
Bugenhagen  92,  95,  98. 
Burnand   549. 
Butzer      128,      132,      172,     388, 

687  ff,   693. 
Calvin  134,  172  f,  369. 
Camerarius    553.  * 

Canisius   127,   136. 
Capito  94,  386.    • 
Carey  185. 
Carlstadt  90. 

Caspari,  H.  162  f,  206,  354  f. 
Caspari,  P.  30. 
Castellio  133,  143,  151. 
Charlemagne      59,     61,      63  ff, 

68  f.,  75,  426. 
Chemnitz  132. 
Chrysologus  30,  37  f. 
Chrysostomus    29,    35,    45,    50, 

56  f,  93. 


702 


Index  of  N< 


Chytraeus  128. 

Clement  VIII.  136. 

Clement  of  Alex.  23. 

Coe  438. 

Cohrs  3,  386. 

Coleridge  5. 

Colet  71,  73,  78. 

Comenius  137,  142,  192,  226. 

Comestor  Petr.  60,  70. 

Commodianus   29,    33. 

Commodus   51. 

Constantine    425. 

Cope   182  f.,    189,    198. 

Copping  549. 

Cotton    176  f. 

Cramer    554. 

Cranmer  171  f. 

Crenshaw   186. 

Crueger   564,   566. 

Cyprian  23,  25,  50,  52,  67,  115. 

Cyril  of  Jerusalem  29,  35,  46, 

48  f. 
Daniels  188. 
Dannhauer  141. 
Dau  215. 
Delitzsch  327. 
Deogratias  31. 
Diesterweg    160. 
Dietrich,  C.  139  f.,  213. 
Dietrich,  V.   102,   133. 
Dinter  154,   156,   158,  161,  499, 

559  f.,   565. 
Dodana   (Dhuoda)   59. 
Doerpfeld  160,  168,  496. 
Doerries    163. 
Dresser  368,   392. 
Ebeling  357. 
Eberhard   418. 

Edmund  of  Canterbury  72,  78. 
Edward  VI.  171  f. 
Eggleston  199  f. 
Erasmus  73. 
Ernest,    Duke    of    Gotha    138, 

141  f.,  151. 
Ernesti  162. 
Eugene  IV.  77. 
Eusebius  of  Caesarea  22,  55. 
Eusebius  of  Verrelli  30. 
Evenius  138,  141  f. 
Fabricius    133,   143,   151. 


Fankhauser  468,  470,  493, 
530  f.,  541,  608,  612,  621,  623. 

Fidus   50,  52. 

Fliedner  428. 

Fox  181  f. 

Francke  145,  151  f.,  192,  202, 
426,  555,  557. 

Frederic  IL   (Emperor)   75. 

Frederic^  II.    (King)    146. 

Fricke  355. 

Friedrich  129. 

Froebel  192,  220. 

Fugel  549. 

Gall   192,   197. 

Gallus,    Laurentius    72,    76. 

Gansberg  526. 

Garmo,  de  216. 

Gausewitz  214. 

Geiler  of  Kaisersberg  73. 

Gerberding  215. 

Gerhardt  389,   394,   426. 

Gerson  71,  73,  76,  79. 

Gesenius    137,    139,   141,    143  f. 

Glassius  137,  142. 

Gottschalk  (=  Theodul)  60, 
69. 

Gottschick  168. 

Graeter    94. 

Greening  176. 

Greenwald  209. 

Gregory   Nazianzen   29,   52. 

Gregory  of  Nyssa  29. 

Gregory   the    Great   53,   62. 

Grossgebauer  144. 

Grossmann  215. 

Guilmant  418. 

Hadamarius   392,  404. 

Hadrian  I.  64. 

Hall,   J.    198. 

Hall,  S.  269,  283,  294. 

Hans  397. 

Hanway  181  f. 

Hardeland,  A.  357,  381. 

Hardeland,  O.  478. 

Hardwig  417. 

Harkey  207. 

Harless    161. 

Harms,  C.  161,  559. 

Harms,  L.  428. 

Harnack,  A.  24,  389. 


Index  of  Names 


703 


Harnack,   Th.    161  f.,    168,   372. 

Harnisch    159,    161,    163  f.,   564. 

Harris    176,    179. 

Hastings  192. 

Hausmann  91,  678. 

Hawthorne  283. 

Heathcote  437. 

Heilmann  549. 

Heinz  86. 

Hengstenberg  161. 

Henkel  204. 

Hennig   428. 

Henry  VIII.    170  f. 

Herbart    160,    167,    219  f.,    320, 

495,   516,   576  f. 
Hercko  392. 
Hermas  22. 
Herzberger  418. 
Herzer    215. 
Herzler   215. 
Heubner   162. 
Heydt  371. 
Heyer  205. 
Hiemer    150. 
Hieronymus  48,  50. 
Hippolytus  24  f. 
Hodges  418,  433. 
Hofmann,  H.  549. 
Hofmann,   J.   K.   von   164,   340. 
Horine  211,  357. 
Horn  211. 

Huberinus  368,  388,  552. 
Huebner     145,     152,     164,    215, 
<  468. 

Hugo  of  St.  Victor  77. 
Hunnius    140. 
Hunt  466. 
Hus   74,   82,   426. 
Hussites  81  f.  . 
Irenaeus  17,  23  ff.,  27,  51. 
Jacobs,  B.  F.  193  f..  199. 


Jacobs,    H.    E.    122, 

386,  396. 
Jager  208. 
James  271. 
Jaspis    162. 
Jerome  48,  50. 
Joh.  Dominici  71. 
John  a  Lasco  134. 
Johnson  178. 


208,    364, 


Jonas,   Justus   91,    171,  365. 

Jonas  of  Orleans  59. 

Jones   175. 

Jud    134. 

Judex  128. 

Judson  197. 

Julian  178. 

Justin  11,  16  f.,  19,  22.      ■ 

Juvencus  29,  33. 

Kabisch   168. 

Kaehler    162. 

Kaftan  163,  211,  350,  357,  370, 

372,   377,   380,   394,  400,  405. 
Kallistus  46. 
Kant  228,  240. 
Kantz    368,    388. 
Karg  683,  697. 
Kehr  168. 
Keller  205. 
Knipstrow  103. 
Knoke  168. 
Knox  173. 
Koelde    74. 
Koenig  355. 
Koestlin   402. 
Koons  208. 
Krauss    168. 
Kraussold  168,  567. 
Krauth  207. 
Kromayer  138,  141. 
Krotel   207  ff. 
Kuebel  168. 
Kurtz,  B.  205,  207. 
Kurtz,  H.  164. 
Lachmann  94,  387. 
Lange   103. 
Lasco,  John  a  134. 
Lanzkranna  74,  76. 
Laurentius    Gallus    72,   76. 
Layritz  165,  417. 
Leo  the   Great   53. 
Lindemann  212,  215. 
Lochmann  204. 
Loehe    161  f.,    211  ff.,    349,    357, 

428,  690. 
Loener  552. 
Loescher  146,   152. 
Loesecke   155,  558. 
Lonicer    103. 
Lossius    128,    133,   553. 


704 


Index  of  Names 


Louis  the  Pious  69. 
Lucian  Martyr  27. 
Ludolph   of   Goettingen   76. 
Luehrs    208,    393. 
Luther  67,  71,  83  et  al. 
Short  Form  84,  88,  106,  121  f., 

170,  385  f.,  397  f. 
Prayer     Booklet     84,     89  ff., 

103  f. 
German  Mass  84,  92,  94,  98. 
Catechetical      Sermons      84, 
86  f.,   90,   93  ff.,   99,   358  ff., 
376,    384  f.,    392,    401,    405. 
Large  Catechism  85  ff. 
Small  Catechism  85  ff. 
Office  of  Keys   and   Confes- 
sion  102  f. 
Passionale   103  f. 
On        Confirmation        680  f., 
694  f. 

McCunn  431. 

McDowell  198. 

Magdeburg    366,    372  f,    390  f., 

394,  397. 
Mann   207  ff. 
Marbach  392. 
Mark  413. 
Mason  192. 
Materne  564. 
Mathesius   129,  349,  354. 
Maukisch  144,  555. 
Maurer   392. 

Maxentius    of   Aquileja   59. 
Maximus    of   Turin  31,   37. 
Maver  156,  204. 
Meckhart  368,  388. 
Meder  397. 
Melanchthon   3,    83,    94,    103  f., 

124,    128,    360,    681. 
Mendelssohn  153,   157. 
Meredith    180. 
Mever    357,    381. 
Miller  207. 
Milton  192,  434. 
Moenckeberg   162. 
Moerlein    129,   392. 
Moibanus    128. 
Moravian  Brethren  71,  75,  82, 

90. 


Morgan   549. 

Morris,  C.  A.  207  f. 

Morris.  J.  G.  207. 

Mosheim  153,  156  f. 

Muehlenberg  202,  204,  426. 

Mueller   428. 

Muenchmeier   163. 

Nathusius  168. 

Nicetas    31,    37  f. 

Nielsen    162. 

Nissen    162,    164. 

Nitzsch    161. 

Notker  60,  67,  69. 

Nowell  172. 

Nuessmann  263. 

Obsopoeus  103 

Odilbert  of  Milan  59. 

Oehler  554. 

Ohl  428. 

Olevian  135. 

Opitz,  H.  390.  394. 

Opitz,  J.  368,  392,  552. 

Origen  24,  26  f.,  31,  52,  55. 

Osiander  102,  151,  171. 

Otfried  of  Weissenburg  60,  69. 

Otto   of   Bamberg   61. 

Overall    172. 

Palmer    168. 

Parisius  156. 

Parker    184. 

Paul  526. 

Penn   181,   184. 

Pestalozzi    153,    158,    167,    192, 

226,  355. 
Petrus  Chrysologus  30,  37  f. 
Petrus  Comestor  60,  70. 
Peixoto   208. 
Pickel  323. 
Pirmin  59.  62  f.,  65. 
Poinet  172. 
Pontoppidan   214. 
Prottengeier  214. 
Quirinus    26. 
Quitman  203. 
Raikes   169,   179  ff. 
Rambach  145,  152,  558. 
Ratichius  137,  142,  226. 
Reginbald   64. 
Rein  168,  323,  495. 


Index  of  Names 


705 


Reu,    Catechism    105,   211,   341 
et  al. 

Bible  History  533. 

Wartburg  Lesson  Helps  170, 
413,  455,  et  al. 

How  I  tell  etc.  215,  513. 

Life  of  Luther  478. 

On  the  history  of  rel,  instr. 
10,  50,  72,  74,  84.  105,  127. 

"Quellen  etc."  3,  71,  84,   105, 
135,   168,  172  et  al. 
Reukauf  168. 
Reyher    141. 
Rhabanus  Maurus  59. 
Rhegius    128. 
Rhoden,    von    575. 
Richard    of    Hampole    73. 
Richter   694. 
Rice  179,   192. 
Ritschl    163. 
Robertson  413. 
Roerer  96. 
Rogers    177. 
Rousseau  5,   153,   192. 
Rudelbach  161. 
Rufinus  30,  37,  57. 
Rupprecht  215. 
Rush    185. 
Rutze  71,  75. 
Sachsse    168. 
Salvian    57. 
Salzmann   153,   156. 
Sam    94. 
Sarcerius  692. 
Sauermann    103,   366,   371  f. 
Säur  175. 
Scharrelmann  526. 
Schaefer  355. 
Schaeffer  206. 
Schaff    418. 
Schaller  215. 
Scheller   323. 
Schleiermacher  154,  159. 
Schleupner    102. 
Schmarje  568,  575. 
Schmauk,    C.    549 
Schmauk,  J.  G.  208. 
Schmauk,  Th.  210,  464. 
Schmidt,  H.  J.  207. 
Schmidt,  J.  141. 


Schmucker,  B.  M.  206  f. 
Schmucker,   S.   S.  205,  207. 
Schneider  162. 
Schnorr  von  Carolsfeld  549. 
Schotten  392. 
Schramm  549. 
Schueren    427,    463,    467,    469, 

471,   521,   528  f.,   594,  675. 
Schuetze    163,    168. 
Schuh  215. 
Schumann  163,  168. 
Schultze   384,   673. 
Schwan   214. 
Schwarz  154,  158,  559. 
Schwenckfeld    686  ff. 
Scriba    208. 
Sedulius  29,  33. 
Seebold    162. 
Seeley    438. 
Sehling  681,  686,  695. 
Seiler    156. 
Seiss  205,  207. 
Septimius   Severus  24. 
Shakespeare  434. 
Sheeleigh  207. 
Siber  374,  392,  403. 
Silvia   30. 
Simon  215. 
Sneath    418. 
Socrates   156  f. 
Spaeth  209. 
Spalatin    96. 
Spangenberg   179. 
Spanuth   608. 
Spencer  439. 

Spener   144,   146  f.,   555  f. 
Spring  208. 
Springer    202. 
Staude    168. 
Steinbeck   168. 
Steinmetz  163,  478. 
Stellhorn  215. 
Stephan,    M.   213. 
Stephan  Lanzkranna  74,  76. 
Stock   180. 
Stohlmann  141,  208. 
Strack  165. 
Stump  211. 
Sturm   192. 
Sulpicius  Severus  29,  33. 


706 


Index  of  Names 


Surgant    74,    78. 

Sverdrup  2i4. 

Tertullian  23,  25,  45  f.,  51,  67, 

115. 
Tetelbach    129,    137,    214,    374, 

378  ff.,  388,  402. 
Theodul    (=     Gottschalk)    60, 

69. 
Theodulph    of    Orleans    75. 
Thomas  Aquinas  72,  77. 
Thomasius    161,    164. 
Thraendorf  168. 
Titus  207. 
Trabert   211. 
Tritonius   73. 

Trotzendorf    128,    133,    368. 
Trumbull   193. 
Tücher  417. 
Tweedv   418. 
Tyng  198. 
Unger  541. 
Ursinus    135. 
Vaughn    217. 
Velthusen  203. 
Victorius  552. 
Vigilius   of  Tapsus   30,   38. 
Vincent  193,  198. 
Vischer    128. 
Voelker    165. 
Vogel  478. 
Vogelbach  206. 
Vorberg  204. 
Wackerhagen   204. 
Walther,  C.  F.  W.  213. 
Walther,    G.   552. 
Walther,  M.  137,  138.  141,  208. 
Wangemann    162,    164,    547. 


Warneck   166,  355. 

Watts  176  ff.,  181,  419. 

Wegener  215. 

Wenner  217. 

Wesley,  C.  181,  419. 

Wesley,  J.    175,    181  f.,    186. 

White    185. 

Whitefield  179,  182. 

Wichern  428. 

Wiclif  74  f.,  82.  426. 

Wiedemann  164. 

Wigand    128. 

Wilber    178. 

Wilberforce    181. 

Wilfried    61. 

Willibrord  61. 

Wilson,   Woodrow  420. 

Wirt  218. 

Wischan  209. 

Wolleb  173. 

Wolff,   Chr.   153  f. 

Wolff,  J.  78. 

Wyneken  208. 

Zahn,   F.   L.   163  f. 

Zahn,  J.   165,   417. 

Zange  543,  641. 

Zell   128,  387. 

Zezschwitz    81,    163,    168,    393, 

565,  568.  575. 
Ziegler  207. 
Ziethe  371. 
Ziller    160,    220,   320,   322,   452, 

495,  576  f. 
Zurhellen   526,   530,   616. 
Zwingli  88,  134,  688. 
Zychlinski,  von  355. 


IL     Index  of  Subjects 

Abstract  232,  279. 

Adolescence,  age  of  294  ff. 

Adult  Bible  Class  198,  214. 

Affections  256. 

Aim,  statement  of  495,  516,  586. 

Aim  of  instruction  8  f.,  45,  81,  93,  95,  149,  303  ff.,  699. 

America,   Rel.  Instr.  in   168  ff.,   175  ff.,   183,  321. 

America,  Luth  Catech.  Labors  in  202  ff . 

Analogy  240. 

Analytical   Development  487  f. 

Answers,   Treatment   of  509  f. 

Anthropomorphic  view  of  God  293. 

Apologetics  120,  479,  481,  490  f. 

Apperception  234  f.,  582. 

Application  197,  283,  354,  491,  516,  538,  585,  588,  621. 

Arcane  discipline  29,  38  ff. 

Argument  490. 

Ascetic  influences  34  f. 

Association  228,  495,  536. 

Athanasian  Symbol  67  f. 

Attention  236. 

Baptism,  estimation  of  9,  19,  34,  39  f.,  209. 

Baptism,  form  of  19,  21,  40,  46  f.,  53  f.,  63,  65. 

Baptism,  place  of  45  f. 

Baptism,  preparation  for  4,  9,  11,  25  f.,  34,  39  f. 

Baptism,  season  for  28,  34,  42,  45,  53,  64,  67. 

Baptism  of  infants  5,  12,  50  ff.,  64,  306. 

Baptism  of  proselytes  14,  18. 

Baptismal  confession  10,  17,  21,  25,  27,  34,  49,  53,  63. 

Baptismal  discipline  9,  41  f. 

Baptismal  instruction  in  the  Old  Church  10  ff. 

Benedicite  98,   100. 

Bible,  circulation  of  55,  147,  180,  189. 

Bible,  introduction  into  407,  412,  474,  478. 

Bible,  reading  of  24,  27,  33,  35,  41,  55  f.,  68,  142  f.,  151,  165,  184, 

210,  407,  411,  436,  460,  545,  593. 
Bible,  school  editions  of  133,  165,  407,  414,  522. 
Bible,  study  of  24,  82,  143,  165,  177,  192,  210,  307,  315,  406  ff. 
Bible,  its  use  in  the  public  school  211,  215  f.,  436  f.,  443  f. 
Bible  Biographv  164,  210,  325  ff.,  476. 
Bible  Characters  164,  210,  480,  492,  640  f. 


708  Index  of  Subjects 

Bible  Class  190,  198,  214,  412,  449,  478. 

Bible  Cultural  History  641. 

Bible  Geography  210,  445,  546,  641. 

Bible  Natural  Science  546,  641. 

Bible  Passages  23,  26,  55,  93,  133,  135,  142,  144,  147,  165  f.,  174, 

177,  189,  196,  203,  209,  407,  409,  455  ff.,  537  f.,  552,  563,  589  f. 
Bible   Passages,   collections   of  23,   133,    135,   142,    144,    147,    165, 

203,  209,  407,  410. 
Biblia  Historica  60,  70. 
Biblia  Pauperum  60,  70,  72,  79. 
Biblical  History,  history  of  instruction  in  17,  25,  27,  32,  56,  64, 

68  ff.,   79.  95,   103  f.,   133,   143  f.,   148,   151  f.,   162  ff.,   167,   179, 

197,  202  f.,  209  f,  215,  217,  319,  408,  411,  416,  452,  455  ff.,  477, 

513  ff. 
Biblical  History,  need  of  314  f. 
Biblical  History,  aim  of  319,  325  ff. 
Biblical  History,  modernisation  of  527. 
Biblical   History,  practical   examples   606 — 645. 
Biblical  History  and  the  inner  life  238,  241,  248,  276,  283,  291, 

320  f. 
Biblical  Histories   143,   152,  164,  178.  209,  215,  533. 
Biblical   Picture  Books  79  f.,   101,   104,   125,   142  f.,  275,  282,  291. 
Biblical  Pictures  125,  142,  481,  547,  552. 
Body,  care  of  222  f. 
Bohemian  Brethren  71,  74  f.,  82,  678. 
Book  of  Common  Praver  172,  175. 
Booklet,  Baptismal  10~0. 
Booklet,  Catechumen's  150,  162. 
Booklet,  Communicant's  150. 
Booklet,  Confessional  74,  78. 
Booklet,  Laymen's  and  Children's  92,  94. 
Booklet,  Marriage  100. 
Booklet.  Prayer  84,  89  ff.,  94,   103  f. 
Brethren  of  Common  Life  78. 
Catalogues  of  vices  15,  63,  67,  81,  87. 
Catalogues  of  virtues  15,  87. 
Catechetical  Sermons  30,  35  ff.,  78.  93,  95,  102,  131,  145.  162,  171, 

358  f.,  367,  376,  380,  384. 
Catechetics,  definition  of  4. 
Catechetics,  elements  of  7. 
Catechetics,  etymology  of  3. 
Catechetics,  meaning  of  3. 
Catechetics,  textbooks  on  1  ff. 

Catechetics,  usage  of  term  3  f.,  32,  77,  94,  124,  127,  498. 
Catechism,  Baden  162. 
Catechism,  Bischoff  129.  4 

Catechism,  Bonnus  128. 
Catechism,  Brenz  94,  112.  130,  150,  162. 
Catechism,  Brunswick  127. 
Catechism,  Butzer  128. 


Index  of  Subjects 


709 


Catechism,  Calvin   134. 

Catechism,  Canisius  127. 

Catechism,  Catholic  71,  74,  127,  136,  171. 

Catechism,  Chytraeus   128. 

Catechism,  Cross  150,  213  f. 

Catechism,  Danzig   144. 

Catechism,  Dietrich  213  f. 

Catechism,  Dresden  Cross  150,  213  f. 

Catechism,    Early   Lutheran    128. 

Catechism,  First  German  60,  67. 

Catechism,  Flensburg  150. 

Catechism,  Freising  67. 

Catechism,  Friedrich  129. 

Catechism,  Gausewitz  214. 

Catechism,  Gesenius  137,  142. 

Catechism,   Glassius   137,    142. 

Catechism,  Gotha  147. 

Catechism,  Hannover  127,   156. 

Catechism,  Heidelberg  127,  134  f.,   174,  175. 

Catechism,  Helmstaedt  203. 

Catechism,  Herford  150. 

Catechism,  Hussite  82. 

Catechism,  Joachimstal  368,  374,  395,  404,  552. 

Catechism,  Jud  134. 

Catechism,  Judex  128. 

Catechism,  Krotel  206  ff. 

Catechism,  Loehe  211,  213. 

Catechism,  Lossius,   128. 

Catechism,  Ludwig  209. 

Catechism,  Mann  206  ff. 

Catechism,   Marshal's   Primer  89,   170,   172. 

Catechism,  Mathesius  129. 

Catechism,  Mecklenburg  137,  150,  162. 

Catechism,  Melanchthon  128. 

Catechism,  Moerlein  129. 

Catechism,   Moibanus   128. 

Catechism,  Moravian  71,  75,  82,  90. 

Catechism,  Notker  60,  69. 

Catechism,  Nuremberg  137,  140. 

Catechism,  Evangelical  Pre-Lutheran  94. 

Catechism,  Quedlinburg  147. 

Catechism,   Quitman   202. 

Catechism,  Raudnitz  82. 

Catechism,  Reformed  127  f. 

Catechism,  Regensburg  64. 

Catechism,  Reu  211,  214;  see  Index  I.,  Reu. 

Catechism,  Rhegius  128. 

Catechism,  Romanus  136. 

Catechism,  Saxony-Altenburg   102. 

Catechism,  Seiler  156. 


710  Index  of  Subjects 

Catechism,  Spener  148. 

Catechism,  Stohlmann  141,  208. 

Catechism,  Stump  211. 

Catechism,   Sverdrup  214. 

Catechism,   Tetelbach   129,   137,  374,  378  ff. 

Catechism,  Trabert  211. 

Catechism,  Trotzendorf  128. 

Catechism,  Victorius  552. 

Catechism,  Vischer  128. 

Catechism,  Waldensian  75,  82. 

Catechism,  Walther  137,  208. 

Catechism,  Watts   178. 

Catechism,  Weissenburg  60,  67. 

Catechism,  Westminster  Large  173. 

Catechism,  Westminster  Small  173  f.,  175  ff. 

Catechism,   Wigand    128. 

Catechism,  Wuerttemberg  150,  162. 

Catechism,  Zell  128. 

Catechism,  instruction  in,  its  need  342,  551. 

Catechism,  instruction  in.  its  independence  342,  551,  580. 

Catechism,  instruction  in,  its  method  549 — 592. 

Catechism,   instruction  in,  practical  examples  645 — 694. 

Catechist  600  ff.,  see  also  iExample. 

Catechumenate,  graded  23  ff. 

Catechumenate,  duration  of  28,  33,  43,  64. 

Catechumen's   instruction,   see   School. 

Character  265. 

Charts,  catechetical  78.  87,  97,  149. 

Childhood  278  ff. 

Christenlehre  161,  166,  173,  204,  211,  214. 

Church  attendance  77.  181,  292,  415,  432. 

Church  year  68,  79,  415  f. 

Circumcision  14,  19,  51. 

Close  of  rel.  instr.,  preliminary  448,  676  ff. 

Close  of  rel.   instr.,   final  699. 

Communion  of  children  52,  77,  678. 

Communion  constraint  696. 

Communion  privilege  696. 

Comparison  228.  495,  536.  587. 

Competents  30,  34  ff.,  45,  49. 

Concept  226  f. 

Conception  226,  238  f. 

Concepts,  range  of  children's  282,  321,  528. 

Conclusion   (logical)   239  f. 

Concrete  232,  279  f.,  282. 

Confession  73,  97,  100  f.,  116,  348,  477. 

Confirmation  48,  58,  61,  76  f.,  131  f.,  144  f.,  147,  149,  172,  678  ff. 

Confirmation,  Luther  on  C.  680  ff.,  694  f. 

Confirmation,  its  elements  680  ff. 

Confirmation,  at  what  age  to  perform  680  f. 


Index  of  Subjects  711 

Confirmed,  supplementary  care  of  166,  214  f.,  429,  448. 

Confiteor  78. 

Conscience  251. 

Consciousness  224,  228. 

Consciousness,   moral  247  f.,   250  f. 

Consciousness,  narrowness  of  228,  230,  469. 

Consciousness,  subconsciousness  228.  309. 

Council  of  Bracara  43. 

Council,  4th  Lateran  77,  679. 

Creed,   see  Faith. 

Datum  Quaestionis  500. 

Decalogue,  use  in  rel.  instr.  23,  27  f.,  36,  55,  74,  78,  81  f.,  86,  88, 

90,   92  ff.,  99  f.,    105,   108  ff.,    116,   120,   122,   134  f,   141,   171  f., 

174,  177,  178,  344  ff.,  353,  357  ff. 
Decalogue,  Luther's  conception  of  106  ff.,  116,  120,  122,  124,  344  f., 

357  ff. 
Decalogue,  objections  against  its  use  344  f. 
Deduction  239. 
Delusion  233  f. 
Desire  261  ff. 

Development,  physical  272  f.,  284,  289,  294,  298,  300. 
Didache   11,   14  ff.,   19  ff.,  22  f.,  46. 
Didascalia   (Syriac)  24. 
Division  of  creed  65,  89,  111,  399. 
Doubts  288,  293,  297  f.,  302. 
Drill  494,  537,  545,  591,  671. 
Duty,  sense  of  247,  252. 
Ecloga,  Theodul's  60,  69. 

Emotions  242—258,  271,  273  f.,  276  f.,  288,  310  f. 
Emotions,  Intellectual  244  f. 
Emotions,  Esthetic  246. 
Emotions,  Ethical  247  ff. 
Emotions,  Religious  250  ff. 
Emotions,  Social  252  f. 
^motions,  Sympathetic  252. 
jEmotions,    Self-esteem   253  f. 
Emotions,  Honor  253  f. 
Emotions,  Shame  253  f. 
England,  rel.  instr.  in  71,   170. 
Examination  of  catechumens  131,  683  ff. 
Example  of  teacher  230,  248,   249,  251,  253,  262,  266,  293,  302, 

444,  490,  604  ff. 
Exsursions,  Catechetical  494  f.,  591,  673. 
Exorcism  26,  28,  41. 
Expositio  Evangeliorum  41. 
Faith,  see  Instruction. 

Faith,  Luther's  conception  of  89  f.,   107,   111—115,   119  f. 
Family  precepts  15. 
Formula  of  Faith   16  f.,  see  Faith. 
France,  rel.  instr.  in  71. 


712  Index  of  Subjects 

Friendship  281,  288,  294,  299. 

Gary  Plan  218. 

Generalization  495,  536. 

Gentiles,   bapt.  instr.   for   13  f. 

Gloria  in   Excelsis  67. 

Gospelbook,   Otfried's   60,   69. 

Gratias  78,  98,  100. 

Greeley  Plan  217. 

Habits  231,  263,  265,  277,  281,  284,  289,  292,  462. 

Hail  Mary  71,  76  f.,  81,  90,  171. 

Hallucination  234. 

Hansa  78. 

Heliand  60  69. 

Holland,   rel.  instr.  in  174. 

Home  Education  54  f.,  65,  75,  79,  92,  130,  173,  175,  190,  429,  430  f., 

448,  451. 
Hussites  81. 

Hvmnal  165  192,  306,  414  ff. 
Hymnal  for  S.  S.  206,  208  f. 
Hymns  78,  133,  142,  144,  165,  167,  181,  416  ff.,  426  f.,  455  ff.,  461, 

480  f.,  537  f.,  552,  589  f.,  592  f,  675. 
Ideals  299. 
Illusion  234. 

Imagination  226,  233,  273,  287. 
Imbecility  222. 
Imitative  Impulse  275,  281. 

Imposition  of  hands  18  f.,  21,  41,  48,  54,  132,  680,  685,  689  f. 
Impulse  259  f. 
Inclination  261  f. 
Individuality  255,  290. 
Induction  239  f.' 
Infancy  271  ff. 

Infant  baptism,  see  Bap^sm. 
Inner  Life  of  Pupil  221  ff. 
Instinct  260. 

Instruction,  religious,  its  need  4  ff.,  155. 
Instruction  in  Baptism  18  f.,  27,  31,  35,  48,  77,  92  ff.,  97  f.,  100,  106, 

115,  121.  348  f.,  477. 
Instruction  in  Bible  History,  see  Bible. 
Instruction  in  Church  History  32,  64,  166,  307,  316  f.,  424  ff.,  445, 

460,  474,  476,  478,  592,   594  f. 
Instruction  in  the  Church's  Tasks  166,  252,  424,  427  f.,  476,  479. 
Instruction  in  the  Constitution  of  the  Church  166,  307,  317,  424, 

428,  480. 
Instruction  in  Eschatology  14  f.,  18,  32,  63  f. 
Instruction  in  Faith  10,  14,  16  ff.,  23,  28  ff.,  35,  37  f.,  63  ff.,  72  ff., 

76  ff.,  81  f.,  88,  90.  92  ff.,  100,  106  f.,  Ill  ff.,  119  f.,  134  f.,  171  f., 

174,  177,  306,  346  ff.,  385,  477. 
Instruction  in  Liturgies  38,  49,  422. 


Index  of  Subjects  713 

Instruction  in  the  Lord's  Prayer   19  f.,  23,  28  f.,  38,  49,  58,  60, 

63  ff.,   72,   74,   76  ff.,   81  f.,   86,   88,   90,  92  ff,   100,   106  f.,    115, 

119,  134  f.,  171  f,  174,  177,  179,  348,  477. 
Instruction  in  the  Lord's   Supper   19,  27,  49,  90,  92  f,  95,  97  f, 

100,   106,   116,   121,   140,  348  f,  477,  697. 
Instruction  in  the  Office  of  Keys  102. 
Instruction  in  the  Sacraments  72,  82,  134  f.,  171  f. 
Intellect  223—242,  271  ff,  275  f,  279  ff,  285  ff,  310. 
Intellect,   Sensation  223  f. 
Intellect,   Perception  225. 
Intellect,   Intuition  225,   see   Intuition. 
Intellect,  Concept  226  f. 
Intellect,   Motion  of  concepts  228. 
Intellect,  Association  228  f. 
Intellect,  Reproduction  229. 
Intellect,  Memory  231. 
Intellect,   Apperception   234  f. 
Intellect,   Logical   Thinking  236  ff. 
Intellect,  Conception  238  f. 
Intellect,   Judgment   239. 
Intellect,  Conclusion  239. 
Interest  158,  231,  236,  245  f,  256  ff,  310,  483. 
Intuition  225,  227,  271,  279,  282  f,  285,  320,  485,  524,  547  f,  576, 

581  f.  a.  o. 
Intuitional  Instruction  528  f,  see  Intuition. 
Jews,  baptismal  instr.  of  12  f. 
Judgment  (logical)  239. 
"Kinderlehre"  74,  134,  140,  202. 
Krist,   Otfried's  60,  69. 
"Kunstkatechese"  565  ff. 
Laying  on  of  hands,  see  Imposition. 
Lessons  for  S.  S,  see  Sunday  School. 
Liturgical  Influence  38  f,  67,  100  f,  306  f,  316,  422. 
Lord's  Prayer,  see  Instruction. 
Lord's   Prayer,   its   Introduction   100  f,   115. 
Love,  Twin  command  of  32,  36,  72,  87,  350. 
Maturity,  Christian  305. 
Maturity,  Congregational  305  ff. 
Maturity,  Intellectual  682  f,  696. 
Maturity,   Sexual  295  f,   300. 
Memorization  55,  68,  78,  80  f,  126,   132,   149,  157,   166,   196,  206, 

211  f.,  215,  407,  409,  422,  515,  593. 
Memory  231,  285,  291,  348,  355. 
Mendacity  284. 

Method  86,  124,  148  f,  156  f,  163,  165,  167,  196,  304,  481—606. 
Miniature  Painting  226,  282. 
Missions  252,  cf.  Church's  Task. 
Modernization  of  Bibl.  History  527. 
Moods  256,  288. 
Mystery  Cults  28  f,  38  f. 


714  Index  of  Subjects 

Narration  282,  526  ff. 

Nerves  222. 

Neurasthenia  222. 

New  England  Primer  177,  183. 

Normal  Schools,  Lutheran  212  f. 

Nuremberg  Booklet  for  Children  137,  140  f,.  368. 

Nuremberg  Sermons  for  Children   102,   129  f.,  131,  171,  345,  364, 

368,  373,  375,  378,  383,  388,  395,  397  a.  o. 
Office  of  Keys  102. 
Opening  of  S.  S.  206. 
Passionale  79. 

Passionale,  Luther's  72,  103  f. 
Passions  262. 

Pedagogics,  textbooks  on  2  f. 
Penetration  485,  516,  533,  616. 
Perception  125,  225. 

Pericopes  68  f.,  82,  133,  143,  147,  166,  209,  411. 
Phantasy  232  ff.,  273,  280,  286,  291,  299,  321. 
Photizomen  31,  34  ff. 
Plays,  religious  60,  70. 

Prayer,  training  in  151,  275,  292,  448,  597;  see  also  Lord's  Prayer. 
Preparation    (narration)   495,   518,  606. 
Preparation,  the  catechist's  596. 
Presentation  483,  516,   520  f.,  610. 
Proselyte  baptism   14. 
Proselyte  catechumenate  14. 
Psalms  55.  68,  95,  133,  142,  144,  411  f.;  cf.  455  ff. 
Puberty  298. 

Quaesitum  Questionis  500. 
Question  125,  149,  242. 
Question,  analyzing  149,   151,  155,  497. 
Question,  confessional  125,  497. 
Question,  deciding  501  f. 
Question,  defining  501  f. 
Question,  didactic  498,  501. 
Question,  dividing  149,  151,  155,  497. 
Question,  leading  149,  158,  501  ff. 
Question,  its  attributes  503  ff. 
Question,  its  nature  499  f. 
Question,  its  various  kinds  501. 
Reading,  fondness  of  282,  294. 
Reason  237. 

Redditio  Symboli  37,  42.  54. 
Reformed  Church,  rel.  instr.  in  127  f.,  134  f. 

Religious  Training  in  the  Public  School  169,  215  ff.,  436  f.,  443  f. 
Renunciation  21,  26,  41,  47,  53,  61,  63. 
Review  231,  267,  289,  453,  545,  671. 
Roman   Church,  rel.   instr.   in  135. 
Saxon  Mirror  109. 
Schoenewalde  96. 


Index  of  Subjects  715 

Schools,  Catechumen  204,  209,  429,  447,  476,  598. 

Schools,  Cathedral  68,  180. 

Schools,  Christian  Public  91,  142  f. 

Schools,  City  95. 

Schools,  Convent  57,  68. 

Schools,  German  (Common)  78. 

•Schools,  Greco-Roman  .50. 

Schools,  Latin  78,  80,  91,  104,  128  ff. 

Schools,  Normal,  Lutheran  212  f. 

Schools,  Parish  68,  204,  211,  429,  439  ff.,  452,  541,  598  f. 

Schools,  Parish,  need  of  211  f. 

Schools,  Saturday  213,  444  f.,  475,  545,  599. 

Schools,  Summer  213,  444,  475. 

Schools,  Sunday,  see  Sunday  School. 

Schools,  Verger  95,    130. 

Schools,  Village   142. 

Scotland,  rel.  instr.  in  173  f. 

Scrutinies  42,  44,  54,  65. 

Scuffling  290. 

Self-consciousness  268,  297. 

Self-esteem  253  f.,  288. 

Sensation  223. 

Septuagint  13. 

Sex,  difference  of  289,  294,  296,  298. 

Sexual  Maturity  295,  300. 

Shame  253. 

Soul,  independence  of  221,  268. 

Soul,  reciprocity  of  body  and  221  f. 

Soul,  unity  of  223,  268. 

Sponsors  53,  59,  65  f.,  69,  76  f.,  423,  683. 

Sunday   School    160,   166,    169,    175  f.,   179,    185  ff.,  429,   433,  444, 

446,  463,  544,  599. 
Sunday  School,  Hymnal  206,  417. 
Sunday  School  Lesson  Helps  188,  189,  192  f,  196  ff. 
Sunday  School  Lesson  Periods  197,  198,  199,  201. 
Sunday  School,  British  S.  S.  U.  182. 
Sunday   School,  American   S.   S.  U.   187  ff. 
Sunday  School,  International  S.  S.  A.  195,  466. 
Sunday  School,  Wartburg  Lesson  Helps,  see  Reu. 
Suicide  370. 

Sympathetic  Emotions  252,  281,  284. 
Synod  of  Agde   (506)   43. 
Synod  of  Carthage  (256)  45,  52. 
Synod  of  Cologne  (1279)  77. 
Synod  of  Dort  (1618)   134,  174. 
Synod  of  Lavaux  (1368)  73. 
Synod  of  Liege  (1287)  77. 
Synod  of  Toledo  (1323)  72,  76. 
Synods,  Lutheran : 

Augustana  214. 


'16  Index  of  Subjects 

General  Council  208  ff. 
General  Synod  205,  208,  210. 
Iowa  212,  213,  214,  cf.  Reu. 
Minnesota  213. 
Missouri  212,  214  f. 
North  Carolina  205. 

gorwegian  S.  214. 
hio  213  f. 

Pennsylvania   Min.  206. 

Pennsylvania   S.  204,  205,  207. 

United  Norw.  Ch.  214. 

Wisconsin  213  f. 
Synthetic  Development  487  f. 
Table  of  Christian  life  73,  79. 
Table  of  Domestic  duties  98,  102,  118,  370. 
Table  of  Prayers  98. 

Tales  57,  165,  273,  286,  318,  320  f.,  322  f.,  452. 
Temper   (Gemuet)  256. 
Temperament  255. 
Thinking  236  ff.,  273,  287,  291,  297. 
Traditio  evangeliorum  28,  41,  54. 
Traditio  orationis  dominicae  42. 
Traditio  symboli  31,  37,  42,  54. 
Tunes  417,  420. 

Tunes,  Popularity  of  Lutheran  tunes  420. 
Twelve  articles  of  creed  65,  89,  111. 
Verbum  abbreviatum  38. 
"Vernunft"  and  "Verstand"  240,  264. 
Vividness  of  narration  531. 

Vocabulary  of  children  235,  280,  321,  484,  503,  528. 
Volition  263  ff. 
Vulgate  107. 
Waldenses  81  f. 

Wartburg  Lesson  Helps  322  f.,  328,  340  a.  o.,  see  Reu. 
Wiclifites  81. 

Will  258—268,  272,  274,  311. 
Will,  Impulse  259  f. 
Will,  Desire  261  ff. 
Will,  Volition  263  ff. 
Will,  freedom  of  265,  267. 
Wittenberg  Catechesis   128. 
Yoke  of  the  commandments  14. 
Yoke  of  the  kingdom  of  God  14. 
Young  People's   Societies    166,  215,  412,  416,  430,  449,  474,  478. 

491,  594,  600,  700. 


717 


Lutheran  Seminary  Text  Book  Series 


A  Brief  History  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  America,  by  Prof. 
J.  L.  Neve,  D.D.,  Springfield,  Ohio.  Cloth,  gilt  markings, 
469  pages,  price  $1.75. 

This  is  a  work  which  was  first  published  in  1903  as  a  little  volume 
of  200  pages,  and  was  introduced  as  a  textbook  in  almost  all  Lutheran 
Seminaries  of  this  country.  In  this  second  edition  all  historical  matter 
has  been  brought  up  to  date,  and  with  the  co-operation  of  representatives 
of  the  different  Lutheran  bodies  the  endeavor  has  been  made  to  pro- 
duce an  objective  history  of  Lutheranism  in  America.  Special  features 
of  this  edition  are  (1)  a  detailed  history  of  the  developments  leading 
up  to  the  break  in  Fort  Wayne,  (2)  a  reliable  history  of  the  Scandinavian 
bodies,   prepared   under   the   supervision   of   their   own   men. 

To    be    had    both    in    German    and    English. 


Introduction  to  Lutheran  Symbolics,  by  Prof.  J.  L.  Neve,  D.D., 
Springfield,  Ohio.     Cloth,  gilt  markings,  450  pages,  price 

'     $1.75. 

This  book  offers  an  historical  introduction  to  the  Oecumenical  and 
Particular  Creeds  of  Lutheranism,  a  Synopsis  of  their  contents,  and  an 
interpretation  of  their  theology  on  the  basis  of  the  doctrinal  articles  of 
the  Augsburg  Confession.  Prof.  Geo.  J.  Fritschel,  D.D.,  has  furnished  the 
Synopsis  of  the  Apology,  Smalcald  Articles  and  Large  Carechism,  and 
has  also  contributed  ihe  chapter  on  the  Formula  of  Concord.  The  Section 
containing  the  interpretation  of  the  Doctrinal  Articles  of  the  Augustana, 
which  covers  pages  100 — 292,  will  be  welcomed  as  a  further  expansion  of 
the  subjects  treated  in  the  author's  little  book  "The  Augsburg  Con- 
fession".—Die  erste  lutherische  Symbolik  in  englischer  Sprache,  die  nicht 
nur  in  die  Entstehungsgeschichte  unserer  Symbole,  sondern  auch  in 
ihren  Inhalt  einfuehren  will.  Der  Glanzteil  des  Buches  ist  seine  Be- 
handlung der  Augustana.  Hier  schenkt  uns  der  Verfasser  einen  wert- 
vollen Kommentar  dieser  wichtigen  Bekenntnisschrift,  der  wegen  seines 
Umfangs  und  seiner  Gruendlichkeit  allein  eine  weite  Verbreitung  des 
Buches  wuenschen  laesst.— Prof.  M.  Reu,  D.D. 


Apologetics  or  a  System  of  Christian  Evidence,  by  Prof.  C.  E. 
Lindberg,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Rock  Island,  111.  Cloth,  250  pages, 
price  $2.00. 

This  is  the  work  of  an  able  Lutheran  theologian  who  offers  us  a 
textbook  that  has  grown  out  of  his  experience  in  the  class  room.  It 
touches  upon  the  main  apologetical  topics,  to  be  further  developed  by  the 
teacher.  Some  parts  have  a  fuller  treatment  for  the  purpose  of  satis- 
fying the  inquiring  layman  who  has  been  kept  in  mind  by  the  author. 
The  book  begins  with  a  brief  history  of  Apologetics.  Then  the  usual 
theological  and  Biblical  (including  the  anthropological,  soteriological  and 
Christological)  questions  are  introduced,  to  be  followed  by  the  evidence 
of  Christian  experience  and  the  eschatological  questions.— Lindberg's  gut 
orientierende  Darstellung  hat  ihren  Hoehepunkt  in  dem  Abschnitt  von  der 
christlichen  Erfahrung,  sowohl  was  die  Herausstellung  der  Tatsachen  die- 
ser Erfahrung  als,  und  vor  allen  Dingen,  was  den  Nachweis  der  Moeglich- 
keit  ihrer  Verifizierung  angeht.  Hier  redet  er  aus  seinem  Allereigensten 
heraus,  und  das  haucht  dem  ganzen  Teil  etwas  von  persoenlichem  Leben 
ein— "Kirchliche    Zeitschrift",    1918. 


Biblical    Dogmatics,   by   Prof.    Andrew    G.    Voigt,    D.D.,    LL.D., 

Columbia,  South  Carolina.     Cloth,  250  pages,  price  $1.00. 

This    is   a   notable   book.     In   grounding   each   doctrine   of  the   Lutheran 
Church    in   Holy    Scripture— the   sedes    doctrinae— in    the    plain    and   simple 


718 

and  yet  scholarly  and  scientific  statement  of  the  Church's  doctrines,  and 
in  the  fidelity  with  which  the  development  follows  Redemption  as  the 
clue  or  key  to  the  understanding  of  both  Bible  and  Dogma,  this  book  is  a 
new  departure  in  the  English  language  and  fills  a  place  long  waiting  for 
it.  It  is  a  book  not  only  prepared  and  admirably  suited  as  a  textbook 
for  theological  students,  but  it  is  one  which  ministers  will  study  with 
profit  and  often  consult,  and  it  is  one  which  commends  itself  to  thought- 
ful laymen  who  wish  to  be  rooted  and  grounded  in  the  faith.  The 
author,  for  many  years  a  teacher  of  systematic  theology,  a  profound  stu- 
dent and  widely  read  in  the  literature  on  the  subject  of  which  he 
treats,  presents  in  this  book  the  mature  result  of  a  lifetime's  study  and 
thought.— "The  book  fills  a  long-felt  want."— Rev.  Prof.  John  A.  W.  Haas, 
D.D.,  LL.D. — "This  work  should  have  a  wide  sale  and  be  in  every 
pastor's  library.  It  will  be  worth  dozens  of  sermon  books  to  him." — 
Rev.  Prof.  Joseph  Stump,  D.D. — "The  author  has  succeeded  in  a  remark- 
able degree  in  setting  forth  the  profound  topics  of  scientific  theology  in  a 
simple  and  lucid  manner.  In  writing  this  readable  book  he  has  proved 
that  theology  is  not  necessarily  a  dry  subject." — Rev.  Prof.  Leander  S. 
Keyser,  D.D. — "One  of  the  most  notable  and  valuable  contributions  to 
scholarly  literature  which  has  come  from  the  press  in  the  last  decade.— 
Every  Lutheran  minister  who  uses  the  English  language  should  secure 
it  and  study  it.  It  will  make  of  him  both  a  better  man  and  a  more 
effective  preacher." — Rev.  Prof.  David  H.  Bauslin,  D.D. — "Dr.  Voigt 
shows  himself  a  master  of  his  subject.  His  clear,  orderly  and  fresh  treat- 
ment of  dogmatic  theology  makes  his  Biblical  Dogmatics  a  valuable  addi- 
tion to  the  minister's  library." — Rev.  Prof.  J.  A.  Singmaster,  D.D. — 
"Voigt's  abridged  Dogmatics  distinguishes  itself  by  rare  raedableness 
and  ready  comprehensibleness.  It  is  soundly  Lutheran,  standing  for 
the  old  faith  of  the  Reformation  and  drawing  generously  on  the  con- 
fessional books  of  our  Church.  I  know  of  nothing  in  the  English  lan- 
guage which  I  would  more  emphatically  recommend  to  my  former  pupils." 
—Rev.   Prof.    M.    Reu,   D.D. 


Outlines   of  Biblical   Hermeneutics,  by  Prof.   Geo.  H.  Schodde, 
Ph.    D.,    Capital    University,    Columbus,    Ohio.     Cloth,    Gilt 
Markings,  200  pages,  price  $1.50. 

This  treatise  aims  to  discuss  chiefly  the  teachings  of  the  Bible  itself 
as  to  its  charcater,  purpose  and  interpretation.  Its  chief  contents  are 
(1)  The  Bible  as  the  object  of  Interpretation;  (2)  General  Hermeneutics; 
(3)  Special  Hermeneutics. — Es  ist  erfreulich  zu  sehen,  mit  welchem  Nach- 
druck Schodde  den  Gedanken  betont,  dass  wir  in  der  Schrift  den  Bericht 
von  der  allmaehlichen  Entfaltung  des  Reichsgottesgedankens  haben,  wes- 
halb er  auch  die  Notwendigkeit  der  historischen  Auslegung  gebuehrend 
akzentuiert,  und  doch  ist  auch  ihm  der  geoffenbarte  und  in  der  Schrift 
uns  vergegenwaertigte  Gottesgedanke  selber  eine  Einheit.  Wir  empfehlen 
das  Buch   allen  unseren  Pastoren, — M.   R.   in   "Kirchliche   Zeitschrift"   1918. 


Catechetics,  or  Principles  of  Religious  Instruction,  by  Prof.  M. 

Reu,   D.D.,   Wartburg   Seminary,   Dubuque.   Iowa.     Cloth, 

Gilt    Markings,    700   pages,    price    $2.50.      To    be    had    in 

German  and  English. 

Prof.    J.    Schaller,    Wauwatosa,    Wis.,    on    the    German    edition:      That 

in   a   book   of   such   importance    and    scope,    much   material    might   be   found 

that   another  would   have   stated   in   different   terms,    is   certain.     It   is   not 

so   certain,  however,   that   this   would  have  been   an   improvement.     At  any 

rate,   the   details  that  might  come   in  for  criticism   are  of  small   importance 

compared    with    the    excellence    of    the    book    as    a    whole.      Hence,    I    shall 

only   say:     No   one   can   afford   to   pass   by   this   volume   on   catechetics,    to 

whom   the   uplift   of  our   Lutheran   standards   of   instruction   is   a   matter  of 

deep     concern. — Prof.     Theo.     Mees,     D.D.,     Columbus,     Ohio:       Dr.     Reu's 

book  represents  the  latest  and  best  results   of  modern  learning,   and  offers 

the  catechist  who  desires  to   improve  upon   former  methods   of  instruction 


719 

so  much  material  for  study  and  so  many  suggestions  for  its  practical  ap- 
plication that  we  hope  that  it  will  be  widely  read  also  in  our  circles. 
One   can   only   benefit   by   its   diligent  use. 


Homiletics,  or  Principles  of  Preaching,  by  Prof.  M.  Reu,  D.D., 

Wartburg  Seminary,  Dubuque,  Iowa.    In  preparation;  will 
be  published  during  the  summer  of  1919. 


Christian  Ethics,  by  Prof.   M.   Reu,  D.D.,  Wartburg  Seminary, 
Dubuque,  Iowa,  ca  350  pages.    Ready  in  spring  1919. 


Introduction  to  the  New  Testament,  by  Prof.  V.  G.  A.  Tressler, 
Ph.D.,  D.D.,  Wittenberg  Seminary,  Springfield,  Ohio.  In 
preparation. 


Works  by  the  Author  of  this  Catechetics. 

Quellen  zur  Geschichte  des  kirchlichen  Unterrichts  im  evan- 
gelischen Deutschland  zwischen  1530  und  1600.  I.  Quel- 
len zur  Geschichte  des  Katechismusunterrichts:  1.  Sued- 
deutsche  Katechismen  1904.  808  pages.  $5.10.-2.  Mittel- 
deutsche Katechismen:  a)  Texte  1911.  1124  pages  $6.25; 
b)  Historisch-bibliographische  Einleitung  1911.  496 
pages  $3.40.— Ost-,  Nord-  und  Westdeutsche  Katechismen 
unter  der  Presse,  about  1200  pages. — IL  Quellen  zur  Ge- 
schichte des  biblischen  Unterrichts  1906.  124  and  1020 
pages  $5.10. 

Reu's  work  commands  the  interest  of  all  who  are  engaged  in  the 
scientific  study  of  the  catechetical  literature  of  the  16th  century,_  and 
deserves  unreserved  appreciation  (Dr.  Knoke— Goettingen,  Theol.  Litera- 
turzeitung).—An  undertaking  large  in  scope,  a  work  deserving  of  highest 
merit  (Dr.  Drews— Halle,  Deutsche  Literaturzeitung).— A  reference  work 
of  the  first  rank  (Dr.  v.  Burger— Muenchen).— It  is  surprising  to  what 
extent  the  author  succeeded  in  gaining  possession  of  original  sources  and 
other  literature  related  to  his  subject  (Dr.  Kawerau— Berlin,  Goettinger 
Gel.  Anzeiger).— The  author  has  enriched  the  field  of  catechetical  lit- 
erature bv  a  real  standard  work  (Dr.  Kolde — Erlangen,  Beitr.  z.  bayr. 
Kirchengeschichte).— In  spite  of  the  difficulties  caused  by  the  fact  that  he 
lives  so  far  removed  from  his  field  of  research,  the  American  author,  by 
intense  application  and  discerning  judgment,  has  laid  the  foundation  for 
a  literary  monument  which  we  cannot  welcome  too  thankfully  (Dr.  Smend 
— Strassburg). — Surely  no  one  in  Germany  had  dared  to  hope  that  we 
would  so  suddenly,  and  that  from  an  American,  receive  such  a  thorough 
and  scientific  work  as  the  "Quellen"  (Dr.  Kropatschek— Breslau).— An 
indispensible,  inexhaustible  and  reliable  source,  the  result  of  great 
diligence  (Reichsbote). — It  is  almost  a  cause  for  shame  upon  German 
theologians,  that  a  foreigner  should  perform  such  a  task  for  us  (Dr.  O. 
Albrecht — Naumburg).— A  product  of  untiring  diligence  and  profound 
learning  (Dr.  F.  Cohrs,  Theol.  Literaturbl.,  Leipzig).— A  thankworthy  un- 
dertaking, which  offers  valuable  information  both  to  the  writer  of  church, 
and  to  the  writer  of  profane  history  (Dr.  Wolf— Freiburg  i.  Br.).— The 
author  has  opened  the  way  for  us  into  a  beautiful  garden,  into  which  most 
of  us  have  hardly  cast  a  glance  (Dr.  Simons — Marburg).— A  work  that 
will  greatly  advance  the  work  of  research  and  which  will  remain  in- 
dispensible for  all  future  study  (Dr.  Schian— Giessen  1908).— How  the 
author,  who  resides  in  America,  succeeds  in  writing  this  excellent  work 
of  the   sources  is  a  riddle  perhaps  not  only  to  the  reviewer  (Dr.   Koehler 


720 

— Zuerich). — Reu  has  cast  a  bright  light  upon  the  realm  of  religious 
education  in  the  16th  century,  not  only  upon  the  realm  of  textbooks,  but 
also  upon  the  whole  realm  of  education.  He  offers  the  sources  for  in- 
dependent study;  he  also  paves  the  way  to  their  proper  understanding. 
In  the  understanding  of  this  realm  of  religious  instruction,  and  thus 
also  in  the  understanding  of  the  Lutheranism  of  the  century  of  the 
Reformation  he  has  brought  us  a  mighty  step  onward.  Especially  by 
the  latest  volume  (1911)  he  has  enriched  us  with  a  book  which  we  hardly 
dared  hope  to  receive  so  soon  (Dr.  Schian — Giessen  1912). — Untiring  zeal 
which  was  spurred  on,  rather  than  hindered  by  the  difficulties  caused  by 
the  great  distance  from  Germany  has  brought  a  great  undertaking  a 
mighty  step  onward.     Reu  reveals  wonderful   ability  in  tracing  out  hidden 

things,    and   in    discovering   things    that    had    been    forgotten The    first 

part  of  the  second  volume  (I  2i)  is  called:  "Historical-bibliographical 
Introduction".  That  title  is  too  modest,  for  it  offers  more,  namely,  an 
accurate  catechetical  history  of  Sachsen-Thueringen,  Schlesien,  Hessen. 
In  conclusion,  let  us  again  express  our  thanks  for  this  great  twofold  gift 
of  whose  valuable  contents  a  review  even  twice  as  long  as  the  present  one 
(it  covers  twelve  pages)  could  not  give  an  adequate  description  (Dr. 
Simons— Marburg,   Theol.    Rundschau,   1915,   Heft  2). 


Wartburg   Lesson   Helps   for   Lutheran   Sunday  Schools: 
For  Beginners,  age  5 — 7  years,  212  pages,  $0.60. 
Primary  Department,   age  8 — 9  years  : 

First  Vol.  150  pages,  $0.60;  Second  Vol.  180  pages,  $0.60. 
Intermediate  Department,  age  10 — 11  years  : 

First  Vol.  160  pages,  $0.60;  Second  Vol.  210  pages,  $0.60. 
Junior  Department,  age  12 — 13  years  : 

First  Vol.  210  pages,  $0.60;  Second  Vol.  278  pages  $0.70. 
Senior  Department,  for-  the  Confirmed : 

Brief  Course,   1  Vol.     Introduction  to  the  Bible. 

In  Preparation. 
Course   for   more   Adyanced   Pupils :     The   Book  of  Life,   First 
Vol.:     Old  Testament,  ca  300  pages,  S1.00.     Second  Vol. 
New    Testament,    ca    250    pages,    $1.00.      In    preparation. 
Quarterly  Edition  now  ready. 

To  be  had  in  German  and  English. 

In  regard  to  form  and  contents,  the  Wartburg  Lesson  Helps  leave 
little  to  be  desired  (Luther.  Zionsbote,  General  Synod). — The  publication 
of  these  books  is  of  great  importance  to  Lutheran  Sunday  Schools.  He 
who  is  looking  for  better  material  for  his  Sunday  School  should  order 
samples  of  these  "Helps"  and  seriously  consider  them  (Gemeindeblatt  der 
Wisconsin  Synode). — An  undertaking  of  great  magnitude.  After  having 
read  the  questions,  which  represent  carefully  prepared  catechisations,  one 
will  understand  why  we  are  filled  with  enthusiasm  for  these  "Lesson 
Helps"  and  why  we  hope  that  they  will  be  used  extensively  (Der 
Deutsche  Lutheraner,  General  Konzil). — It  is  marvelous  how  carefully  the 
whole  system  has  been  prepared,  how  clearly  it  has  been  planned  and 
how  faithfully  this  plan  has  been  carried  out.  In  all  literature  of  this 
nature,  there  "is  nothing  that  can  be  compared  with  these  "Lesson  Helps". 
Where  such  helps  are  used  in  the  manner  prescribed,  both  teacher  and 
pupil  can  derive  only  lasting  benefit  (Prelate  Schmitthenner  in  Karls- 
ruhe, Chairman  of  the  Sunday  School  Teachers'  Conference  in  Baden). — 
An  excellent  help  for  instruction  in  the  Sunday  School.  One  is  delighted 
to  discover  that  this  learned  theologian,  who  belongs  to  our  most  noted 
investigators   in   the   field   of  catechetical   literature,    knows  how   to    speak 


721 

to  children  in  such  a  child-like  way  (Dr.  Ihmels,  Leipzig  Theol.  Literatur- 
blatt 1915  Nr.  7).— The  order  and  arrangement  of  these  stories,  as  well 
as  the  simple  language  in  which  they  are  clothed,  is  truly  admirable 
(Prof.  Graebner,  St.  Louis,  Mo.). 


Explanation   of   Luther's  Small   Catechism,  together  with  three 
supplements.     167  pages,  $0.40. 


Explanation  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  in  Questions  and  An- 
swers, 92  pages,  $0.25. 

Ein  katechetisches  Meisterstueck  (Ohiosche  Kirchenzeitung).— ^Ein 
ganz  vortrefflicher  Katechismus  (Magazin  fuer  ev.  Theologie  und  Kirche). 
— Etwas  Besseres  ist  uns  von  derartigen  Erzeugnissen  unseres  Landes 
nicht  zu  Gesicht  gekommen  (Canada  Kirchenblatt). — Reus  Gabe  stellt 
sich  dar  als  eine  reife  Frucht  moderner  Unterrichtskunst,  als  einen  we- 
sentlichen Fortschritt  in  der  Darstellung  der  Kirchenlehre  fuer  Kinder. 
Katecheten  werden  fuer  Stoffbehandlung  und  Stoffbegrenzung  viel  aus 
dem  Buechlein  lernen  koennen  (Kirchenrat  D.  Boekh — Nuernberg;. — 
Schriebe  ich  selbst  eine  Katechismusauslegung  fuer  Religionsschueler, 
wueide  ich  nach  denselben  Grundsaetzen  arbeiten  (Generalsuperintendent 
D.  Th.  Kaftan — Kiel). — This  is  one  of  the  best  enlargements  of  Luther's 
Small  Catechism  (Lutheran  World). — A  unique,  suggestive  and  highly 
esteemed  work    (Prof.   Gerberding,   D.D.). 

To  be  had   in   English   and  German. 


Biblical  History  for  School  and  Home.    280  pages,  $0.60.    To  be 
had  in  English  and  German. 


Christliche  Ethik  in  kurzer  Skizzierung.  146  pages,  $1.50. — An 
enlarged  English  edition  (about  350  pages)  will  be  ready 
in   Spring   1919. 

We  consider  this  little  book  one  of  the  best  products  of  the  the- 
ological literature  in  America  in  its  class.  It  is  thorough  scientific-, 
and  yet  truly  devout  (John  Haas,  D.D.,  President  of  Muehlenberg,  Allen- 
town,  Pa.). — Gesund  biblisch,  durchaus  lutherisch,  trotz  Benuetzung  an- 
derer ein  Werk  aus  einem  Guss;  wir  wuenschen  das  Buch  in  die  Haende 
aller   Pastoren   zu   fleissigem   Studium   (Dr.    Richter,    Kirchenblattj. 


How   I   tell   the   Bible   Stories  to   my   Children.     First  Volume, 
ca  350  pages.     Ready  in  November. 


Die  alttestamentlichen  Perikopen  nach  der  Auswahl  von  Tho- 
masius,  exegetisch-homiletisch  bearbeitet.  592  and  292 
pages,  bound  in  one  vol.,  $4.00. 
This  book  has  rendered  excellent  service  to  me  (Theol.  Anzeiger).— 
Reu  deserves  unreserved  thanks  for  having  shown  us  that  thorough 
exegesis,  and  a  setting  into  the  historv  of  the  time,  are  the  first  prin- 
ciples in  the  homiletic  use  of  the  Old  Testament  (Ev.  Kirchenblatt  fuer 
Wuerttemberg). — Reu  has  excellently  performed  his  task  (Theol.  Literatur- 
blatt).— Scientifically  accurate,  as  well  as  practical  (Ev.  Kirchenzeitunp). 
—It  is  simple  and  yet  profound.  It  teaches  us  to  understand  the  Old 
Testament  from  a  Christian  viewpoint,  and  creates  a  desire  to  preach 
(Schleswig-Holsteiner  Kirchen-  und  Schulblatt). — One  thing  in  the  book 
pleases  me  excellently:  the  direct,  concentrated,  penetration  into  the 
religious  and  saving  truths  of  these  difficult  Old  Testament  passages. 
While    it    includes    the    scientific    basis    for   exegesis,    it   omits    all    learned 


722 

discussions.  The  book  has  edifying  qualities  (Leipziger  Zeitung). — 
Equipped  with  a  help  of  this  kind  every  preacher  can  undertake  to 
preach  on  the  Old  Testament  (Kirchenrat  Boeckh — Nuerenberg). — It 
created  respect  for  German-American  theology,  and  will  also  be  of  ex- 
cellent service  to  the  pastors  of  our  state  church  (Dr.  v.  Burger— Muen- 
chen). — This  book  compares  favorably  with  the  best  that  has  been  pro- 
duced in  its  line  (Luth.  Kirchenblatt— Reading). — The  exposition  of  the 
text  is  profound  and  clear,  and  the  application  is  unforced  and  practical, 
the  language,  especially  in  the  application,  is  beautiful  and  elevated. 


Thirty-five  Years  of  Luther  Research.  With  27  illustrations,  156 
pages,  $1.00. 
This  book  is  not  inlended  for  the  general  reading  public,  but  for 
the  Luther  student.  To  him  it  is  a  rare  treat  (Prof.  Graebner,  St. 
Louis).— A  unique  book  (Prof.  Dau,  St.  Louis).— Fuer  den  Theologen 
ein  wertvolles  Nachschlagewerk,  das  in  Amerika  durch  kein  anderes  er- 
setzt werden  kann  (Prof.  Fuerbringer,  St.  Louis). — This  book  is  an  al- 
most indispensable  guide  to  one  who  desires  to  acquaint  himself  with  the 
writings  about  Luther  published  since  1883  (The  Augsburg  Teacher). — 
The  most  up-to-date  fresh,  and  scholarly  presentation  of  the  subject  in 
the  English  language  (Dr.  Schmauk,  Philadelphia). — Gleich  ausgezeichnet 
durch  Gruendlichkeit  und  Klarheit  (Dr.  Abrahamson,  Augustana). — Very 
scholarly  and  thorough-going.  Especially  English  speaking  Protestantism 
should  feel  greatly  indebted  to  Dr.  Reu  for  his  painstaking  research 
(Dr.  Kildahl,  Minneapolis). — Dr.  Reu's  book  commands  my  sincere  ad- 
miration. There  is  an  extraordinary  amount  of  interesting  information 
packed  in  its  small  compass.  While  written  especially  for  scholars  and 
excellently  adapted  for  their  use,  the  book  will  also  serve  as  an  invalu- 
able supplement  to  any  life  of  Luther,  which  the  general  reader  may 
possess  (Dr.  Voigt,  Columbia,  S.  C). — I  have  received  genuine  profit 
from  the  reading  of  Reu's  book.  It  is  a  volume  full  of  most  valuable 
information  showing  acquaintance  with  the  minutiae  of  recent  research. 
Men  who  are  acquainted  with  the  general  movement  and  progress  of 
Luther's  life  will  find  this  volume  furnishing  them  new  information  and 
also  buttressed  information  which  will  confirm  the  true  things  they  al- 
ready know  (Dr.  D.  S.  Schaff,  Western  Theol.  Seminary). — It  is  indis- 
pensable to  all  who  wish  to  concern  themselves  in  any  thorough  _  way 
with  Luther,  and  it  was  done  a  necessary  piece  of  work  with  skill,  judg- 
ment and  wonderful  knowledge.  It  is  a  credit  to  American  Luther 
scholarship  and  reflects  hard  on  the  Lutheran  Church  on  this  side  of  the 
ocean  (Dr.  A.  Faulkner,  Prof,  of  Church  History  at  Drew  Seminary, 
Madison,  N.  J.). 


The  Life  of  Dr.  Martin  Luther.  Sketched  for  young  people's 
societies  and  the  necessary  directions  for  general  dis- 
cussions appended.     210  pages,  $0.35. 


The  Life  of  Dr.  Martin  Luther  for  the  Christian  Home.  92 
Illustrations,  297  pages,  $1.25. 
Eine  feine  Schrift  (Prof.  Bente,  St.  Louis).— Those  of  our  pastors  who 
intend  to  conduct  Litther  evenings  with  their  young  people  should  not 
fail  to  look  into  this  book.  The  workmanship  is  that  of  a  trained  edu- 
cator and  of  a  Luther  scholar  (Prof.  Graebner,  St.  Louis").— Gluecklich  der 
Tugendverein,  der  das  hier  Gebotene  durchnimmt  (Dr.  Stellhorn,  Colum- 
bus, Ohio). — Nicht  nur  den  Jugendvereinen,  sondern  auch  den  Lehrern 
moechten  wir  dies  treffliche  Buch  empfehlen.  Es  bietet  _  vorzuegliche 
Anweisung  fuer  die  Behandlung  der  Reformationsgeschichte  mit  den  Schue- 
lern  (Gemeindeblatt  d.  Wisconsinsynode). — Es  ist  uns  zwar  kein  Re- 
zensionsexemplar zugegangen,  aber  wir  glauben  unsern  Lesern  einen 
Dienst  zu  erweisen,  wenn  wir  sie  auf  dies  Buch  aufmerksam  machen. 
Der  Verfasser   ist    naemlich   seiner  Aufgabe   in   hervorragender  Weise   ge* 


723 

recht  geworden.  Sein  Buch  ist  nicht  ein  blosses  Aneinanderreihen  von 
Geschehnissen  jener  Zeit,  sondern  eine  pragmatische  Darstellung  des 
Werdeganges  des  grossen  Reformators.  Dabei  wird  besonderes  Gewicht 
darauf  gelegt,  von  welcher  Bedeutung  Luthers  Wirken  fuer  unsere  heuti- 
gen kirchlichen  Verhaeltnisse  gewesen  ist.  Und  das  alles  wird  in  einer 
klaren,  gemeinverstaendlichen  Sprache  dargeboten,  dass  jeder,  der  an 
Geistigem  nur  noch  einigermassen  Geschmack  hat,  das  Buch  mit  Inter- 
esse lesen  wird.  Die  Jugendvereine  und  deren  Leiter  werden  aber  dem 
Verfasser  doppelt  danken  (Prof.  Merzer,  Quartalschrift  d.  Wisconsin- 
synode).— Dies  Leben  Luthers  ist  das  beste,  das  uns  im  vergangenen 
Jubeljahr  zu  Gesicht  gekommen  ist  (Dr.  Richter,  Kirchenblatt). — Suppose 
that  a  Life  of  Luther  is  written  in  such  a  way  that  every  one  of  the 
fundamental  truths  of  the  Gospel  is  shown  glowing  against  the  back- 
ground of  the  great  Reformer's  life;  suppose  that  this  is  done  in  a 
way  so  simple  that  the  child  of  ten  can  understand  the  facts  and  truths 
to  be  thought.  Suppose  that  these  principles  which  cause  even  quite 
a  few  Lutherans  to  look  with  misgiving  upon  the  attitude  of  their  church 
toward  others,  could  be  portrayed  in  such  a  way  as  to  prove  that  they 
healed  the  great  hurt  of  the  Church  in  Luther's  day,  and  will  cause  the 
Church  to  become  subject  to  the  same  hurt  again  if  abandoned  to  please 
the  broad  superficial  sectarian  spirit,  wt-  should  think  that  such  a  book 
should  enlist  the  patronage  of  the  whole  Lutheran  Church.  Well,  we  have 
such  a  book  in  Dr.  Reu's  Life  of  Luther  (Prof.  Gohdes,  Columbus,  Ohio). 
— Schon  manches  Lutherbuch  ist  auf  den  Markt  gekommen,  alle  aber 
werden  von  dem  Leben  Luthers  von  Reu  uebertroffen  (Wachende  Kirche). 
— This  is  one  of  the  finest  contributions  to  the  Jubilee  Festival  of  the 
Reformation.  The  value  of  the  book  consists  in  the  clearness,  the  inti- 
mate and  thorough  presentation  which  it  gives  of  the  life  and  career  of  the 
great  Reformer.  Books  there  are  aplenty  dealing  with  the  subject,  many 
of  them  but  dry  rehearsals  of  historical  facts  strung  together  with  more 
or  less  comprehension  of  their  relative  bearing.  But  Dr.  Reu's  Life  of 
Luther  goes  to  the  heart  of  the  matter  and  gives  the  inner  meaning  and 
value  of  the  transcendent  service  rendered  to  humanity  by  the  great- 
est servant  of  God  since  the  Apostle  Paul.  The  book  is  as  interesting 
and  fascinating  as  it  is  authentic  and  dependable  in  its  statements. 
For  sheer  interest  as  a  human  document,  it  far  transcends  literary  pro- 
ductions which  have  gained  vogue  and  are  rendered  among  the  world's 
masterpieces.  The  simple  presentation,  with  all  its  wealth  of  detail,  can- 
not fail  to  impress  the  reader  with  the  marvelous  personality  of  the  hero 
of  the  Reformation.  His  faith  and  steadfastness,  his  loyalty  to  the  truth 
and  his  courage  are  explained  only  upon  the  fact  that  he,  like  Paul,  was 
apprehended  by  Christ  and  that  his  only  foundation  was  the  Word  of  God 
(Prof.  Dr.  Rygh,  Lutheran  Survey). — It  is  admirable,  up  to  the  latest 
research,  interesting,  and  a  worthy  memorial  to  the  immortal  Reformer 
(Dr.  J.  A.  Faulkner,  Drew  Seminary,  Madison,  N.  J.). 
To   be   had   in   English   and   German. 


Die   Heilsordnung.     Eine  dogmatische   Skizze.     53  pages,  $0.20. 


Die    Gnadenmittellehre.      Eine    dogmatische    Skizze.     67    pages, 
$0.25. 

Dr.  Reu  bringt  hier  den  Grundriss,  den  er  bei  seinem  Unterricht  im 
Seminar  verwendet.  Form  und  Methode  sind  vorzueglich.  Zuerst  eine 
These  oder  Zusammenfassung,  sodann  die  Behandlung  im  Einzelnen,  die 
aus  einer  direkten  exegetischen  Untersuchung  der  einschlaegigen  Stellen 
die  Lehre  hervorgehen  laesst.  Mit  diesem  Entfalten  der  Lehre  direkt 
aus  der  Schrift  hat  der  Verfasser  sicherlich  das  Rechte  getroffen  —  das 
ist  Dogmatik  der  besten  Art  (Prof.  Dr.  Lenski,  Columbus,  Ohio). 


Date  Due 

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HESBRVE 

1 

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iV 

HD 

: 

■ 

ifcr 

Wlti 

f  2 

1 

rül  1L  0|| 

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